On choosing a therapist

I've noticed that people often struggle when it comes to choosing a therapist. There’s a strange mystique around psychotherapy, and even assertive and capable individuals can find this hard to navigate.  

This is normal, but it bothers me, and when I’m asked about it in my day job, my advice is always the same:

Approach it in the same way as you would treat hiring a plumber or a builder.  It’s really no different, and there’s no need to buy into the hype and specialness around this profession.  

Have a clear idea of what you want help with, get recommendations from people you trust, get quotes from (in other words: interview) a handful of candidates, then trust your gut.  The main thing is that you click with the person - all the evidence says that's the critical variable. 

If you go with someone and you don’t feel like they’re helping, consider sacking them and finding someone else.  

This kind of work is a bit like running a relay race – sometimes you need to go a few times round the track with a few different people.  There’s no shame in that, in fact often it’s the ideal scenario.  

Everyone you work with has something to offer you - some more than others, obviously - but nothing is wasted.  The trick, as ever, is to begin.