Finding The Right Therapist
Most therapists will offer a free consult, so you can see if the therapist feels like a good fit for you.Official UK Guidelines
The main UK professional bodies, have produced a framework called SCoPEd that outlines a therapists training and experience. This makes it a lot easier for people to make sure that the therapist they choose, meets a significant professional standard.
Here are the main categories:
A: Core training and the baseline for registered membership. Newly qualified counsellors are likely to fall into this bracket.
B: Enhanced training, additional skills. Accredited members with more experience and post-qualifying training.
C: Further enhanced training and the highest level. Therapists are able to work at greater depth, highly experienced and able to work with more complex needs.
You will find good therapists in all categories and the category does not necessarily mean that a therapists will be the best fit. It is just a guideline.
Feeling safe, free from judgement, and empowered to make the changes that benefit you most are always a good sign that you are working with a skilled therapist.
I am BACP registered, and currently processing an application for NCPS Accredited registrant, working towards full professional accreditation.
Some examples of client feedback
❋ Best therapist there is, could not ask for a better one.❋ Angela has been a ray of light helping me through some personal issues recently. She is a very warm person who is easy to talk to.❋ Ive been working with Ange for over a year and even with breaks in between sessions; every tool, every piece of information and every session has been met with no judgement, care and thoughtful insight. She's got a very keen focus on balance and finding the best routes to make sure I am in the drivers seat in my own life and able to gain confidence in myself using the tools rather than relying on anything else and it is such a special feeling.❋ Angela is a great therapist, kind, experienced, knowledgable and reliable. I would thoroughly recommend her to anyone wishing to attend therapy.What Happens In a Therapy Session?
Lifestyle balance, plays an important role in successful outcomes. Emotional regulation, anxiety management and stress management are common areas of focus.
Behaviour change can have a significant impact on improving your confidence and self esteem.
When we develop a clear understanding of our morals and values as well as our occasional messy human ways, we can feel a greater sense of self, purpose and self-control.
If you are coming to therapy to gain a sense of feeling perfect, then you may be surprised to know that it would be an unhealthy focus and expectation. Humans can be complex, emotions can be challenging to process and relationships can add extra complexities to our life. We just have to learn to accept being human and navigating the challenges that can bring.
Exploring expectations, perspectives and cognitive distortions can lead to an empowering sense of clarity.
I see therapy as a way to gain clarity from the confusion, self awareness from the blurred sense of self and improved calm and balance from the intense ups and downs.
Therapy works best when it is a tailored fit. Topics like low self worth, low mood, confidence, anxiety and stress are common reasons why someone may seek support.
Approaches can be short term/long term with some wanting to dig deep for better understandings and others wanting to make a few tweaks to their every day lives.
Trauma Informed Mindfulness Practices, may play a role in my therapist tool kit. This helps to regulate the nervous system and allow more general wellbeing and contentment. This can be good for stress management and/or trauma recovery.
Sometimes we can be our own worst enemy, learning to control your mind rather than your mind controlling you can give you one of the most powerful tools you could ever own.
Some people can fear or doubt their true self, but when you make peace and remove the blocks and barriers to your potential, you can experience a sense of living rather than existing.
In therapy you can master the art of being your true organic self and even liking yourself. We are all unique individuals and we are all equal and good enough.
We all have an equal right to our place on this earth.
Therapy can help when you feel stuck in relationships. Towards the end of therapy, you are likely to focus on the relationship you have with yourself just as much as you focus on the relationships that you have with others. Toxic relationships will hold less or no appeal, with healthy relationships bringing improved light to the areas that have been mostly dark.
There is no magic wand, but responsibility and accountability can bring about significant changes, when you are working with a skilled therapist.