Jack Roberts Counselling

Choosing a Counsellor or Type of Therapy

Choosing a counsellor or type of therapy can be difficult when there are so many. But perhaps the type doesn’t matter so much as the quality of therapist and the process of going through counselling. This may be true, but there are some techniques that are better for some things than others. You shouldn’t need to worry too much about that though, a good, well-rounded therapist or counsellor should be able to work this out alongside you, so that you get the help you need.

The Different Types of Therapists and Counsellors

Although the terms are often used interchangeably, there can be differences. Think of a therapist as having a technique or specialising in an area, e.g. a physiotherapist or hypnotherapist, whereas a counsellor provides ‘talking therapy’. A good counsellor will give the freedom to explore whatever is needed, rather than using a single technique. Unless you’re trained you might not know what technique or therapy is most helpful, but the counsellor should know.

A psychotherapist is considered to be a more highly qualified counsellor with a more stringent accreditation process. A psychologist studies the mind and psychology generally so can be more theoretical (unless they are a ‘counselling psychologist’). A psychiatrist is a qualified doctor and so will specialise in diagnosed mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and can also prescribe medication but won’t do counselling.

Is it Really an Unregulated Profession?

Yes and no. It is true that anyone can set themselves up in business and call themselves a counsellor or therapist. It isn’t a controlled title like a doctor or a vet. But there are regulatory bodies for the different areas, e.g. the National Council for Hypnotherapy for hypnotherapists.

Ethical counsellors and psychotherapists go through a lengthy training and qualification process. For example, I have an MSc in Counselling and Psychotherapy and am regulated by the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy). You can find out more about me and my background in the rest of this website, starting with the home page. BACP members need a minimum academic qualification level with a high level of supervised experience in counselling before they can join. They also have to show development of their knowledge on an annual basis, receive regular supervision and abide by a stringent ethical code.

Each of the regulatory bodies has a similar approach, such as the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society or the UK Council for Psychotherapy.

CBT-specific therapists have the BABCP (British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies) plus you may also come across the Human Givens Institute.

How do I Access Therapy or Counselling in the UK?

Broadly speaking, you can go via the NHS, private providers, an employer provided service, charities, or do it yourself via books, videos, articles or Artificial Intelligence apps such as ChatGPT or Claude.

You can access ‘NHS Talking Therapies’ via:

  • The NHS website for your local health trust to self-refer for up to four sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy, delivered over the telephone or online. This can be useful as a starting point but you’re unlikely to get depth or a wide variety of exploration.
  • A GP referral which will put you on a waiting list with the length of time determined by your local NHS trust. It will normally start with CBT although you may be referred for person-centred counselling or therapies such as EMDR for trauma if you need more depth.

Private Counsellors and Therapists

These can provide immediacy, flexibility, breadth and depth of experience and expertise. You can find one via a referral from someone you know, search online, or use an employer-provided service via an EAP (Employee Assistance Programme).

Directories such as Counselling Directory or the BACP are useful as they only contain providers who meet strict qualification criteria. Check that any potential providers have appropriate credentials and are a member of an accreditation body such as the BACP.

EAPs are health and wellbeing services that some employers provide for their staff. They will normally pay for between 4 and 8 sessions but you might not get to choose who you work with. Extending it by an additional one or two may be possible but if this is insufficient you will need to find a suitable private provider. There can be a stigma and fear associated with EAPs that they may report back to your employer so you might want to check what the EAPs policy is on that.

Organisations Providing Counselling

Large counselling organisations such as Better Help also exist. The main benefit is that you don’t need to spend time choosing a therapist as they will allocate one to you. But they will also have requirements and restrictions around this, e.g. paying for a fixed amount of sessions at specific times, regardless of whether you attend. Be mindful also of how they select counsellors. They don’t pay their freelance counsellors well so may not always attract the more experienced and highly-qualified counsellors.

Charities will have a specific focus such as sight loss or neurodiversity. They may provide a service themselves (but often limited in scope or type, such as 3 telephone CBT sessions only) or they may have a directory of private providers. The RNIB, for example, has a directory of online and face-to-face counsellors who have attended specific training and met a certain standard.

Self-help Approaches

AI apps and YouTube videos can be useful at 3am when you’re spiralling into anxiety or depression rather than sleeping peacefully. But they can never give the depth and understanding that a trained, qualified and experienced human counsellor can. They can only make suggestions based on what you ask so you need a certain level of knowledge and understanding about yourself for them to be effective, and you need to ask the right questions.

A trained counsellor will know what to ask but can also sense what isn’t in your awareness but may be causing your issues. AI can’t ‘read’ you or interpret the vibe you are giving off, it can only interpret your written words. But they can give false information and tend to praise you, rather than really working out what’s going on and thus give appropriate guidance.

Making the Right Choice of Counsellor

Here’s a summary of things to take into account when choosing a counsellor, therapist or method.

  • If you’re clear on your issue and type of help you need, find a therapist who has experience and credentials in that area.
  • Look for a private counsellor if you don’t want to wait, don’t know what type of support would be best, or want more than basic CBT. Check they are a member of an accredited body such as BACP and see how far they ‘get’ you before working with them. It can help to have an idea of how many sessions you would be willing to have and your budget before doing this, to help focus your search. The cost per session will depend on your location and the experience of the therapist. In my area, Crewe, it can cost £50-£70 per hour. London may be more likely to be £100+ per hour.
  • If money is tight or you have a specific issue then an EAP, NHS self-referral service or charities may be able to assist.
  • AI helps where you already know what you are doing so can prompt it appropriately for reminders and suggestions.