If you’re searching for a private therapist, you might be a little stuck about who to seek support from and what support might be helpful for you. There are lots of choices out there (and lots of information online!) which can be helpful but how do we decide which therapist is right for us?

There are different things to think about:

• Therapist accreditation, skills and qualifications
• Therapist values
• Location(s)
• Affordability

Therapist skills and qualifications

Training is very important and it’s completely acceptable for you to check this with your therapist. Some therapists will specialise in certain areas including physical health/long term conditions, relationships, eating disorders or military trauma.

CBT Therapists should all have:

• 1-2 year postgraduate diploma
• Extensive experience working within mental health settings
• Accredited with a governing body – CBT therapists should all be accredited with the BABCP (British Association Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies) and you check your therapist is registered using the “online CBT register” here.

All Lifted Therapy’s CBT therapists are appropriately trained, continue to attend additional training (to keep up to date) and are accredited with the BABCP.

Therapist values

All therapists are different in terms of their personality and values and it’s important that your therapist holds values and qualities that you are looking for!

Everyone is different in terms of what they are looking for in their therapist for example:

• Most people would like their therapist to be compassionate, warm and non-judgmental (some therapists are softly spoken whereas others might be a little more direct)
• Some people may prefer their therapist to be a similar gender to themselves.

You can double check the therapist’s website and the about us page to find out more about them and contacting them to have an initial consultation to check they would be the right therapist for you.

When choosing a therapist it’s your personal choice! Sometimes, it can require a bit of trial and error to find the right person for you – and that’s okay!

Location(s)

The location of private therapy can vary depending on area. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, private therapy was usually conducted in person (face to face) in the same location and room each week. This means, that you would need to be sure that your therapist was local.

Since, the COVID-19 pandemic, things have changed. This means that private therapists have continued to offer in person sessions, but many therapists offer remote sessions (usually by video – through zoom or teams). Research has found that working remotely has been helpful for both therapists and clients as it has become more accessible, meaning that there is no travel involved and it’s just as effective as being seen in person.

At Lifted Therapy we offer appointments remotely through video appointments and telephone.

This means, you can access therapy from anywhere in the country and means you can book your therapy sessions around other commitments including work, childcare and school, making therapy more accessible.

Affordability

Unfortunately, private therapy does come with a cost and there is no minimum or maximum amount that a therapist can charge but this depends on their experiences and what they feel their service is worth.

The cost of therapy will also depend upon the area as this can incur higher costs. For example, the average cost of private therapy in Hampshire and Berkshire is £95-115 per session. At Lifted Therapy our cost per session is £95.

Getting in touch

You can get in touch with us if you would like to try Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or if you are unsure what therapy would be most helpful for you (that’s okay too!) you can use our online booking service to book a free 20-minute telephone appointment with us to talk through what you are experiencing and what support would be most helpful.

You can also follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more information about mental health and wellbeing discussions!