Getting the Best Start in Therapy

Therapy, sometimes called counselling or psychotherapy, can and does change lives. However, it can be a daunting prospect, especially if you haven't worked with a therapist before or don't know if therapy (or the therapist) is going to suitable for you.

This book aims to empower your beginning in therapy by helping you feel confident about how and why therapy works, what problems it can help with, finding the right therapist, navigating the multitude of options and approaches, as well as answering your questions and concerns. You'll learn about what to expect at the initial session and understand contracting considerations.

For therapists and trainee therapists many parts of this book will be familiar. However, the material here is an accumulation of research and my personal experience of clients, about their questions and concerns as they begin therapy. These concerns are addressed throughout this book and I hope they will be provide a source for reflection and client centred adaptation in attuning to what consumers may need when they first enter therapy.

Here are some of the biggest questions addressed in this book, if you are entering therapy you may well be asking some of these questions:

•What is therapy? What is it like? How can this possibly work? You may be confused about how or why therapy would work as it appears to be "just talking".

•Is therapy going to work for me? Is it really an option? How do I navigate the minefield of therapy approaches, options and therapists available? Am I making the right choices?

•How will I know I am working with a good therapist who is competent and will be able to help and keep me safe?

•What can I expect when beginning therapy? What can I do to prepare and what do I need to be aware of when contracting for therapy? What if the therapist does not want to work with me? What can I do to make the best of therapy? What is my role?

•Performance, Safety and Vulnerability concerns. Am I going to be judged? And not understood or told I'm wrong? What if I don't perform well? What if I can't say what I need to say? What can I do if I find it hard to be vulnerable? What if I don't want to talk about something? How do I deal with the proximity intimacy of face to face setting and the embarrassment of going to therapy?

•Will I be safe? How confidential is confidential? What if I am part of a legal trial? Or I want to have records kept of what I talk about? Will I or someone I know get into trouble? What are my rights in therapy?

•How is therapy going to impact my life? Financially, time, effort, my wellbeing and relationships? How can I reduce the financial cost of going to therapy?

•How can I support someone who is in therapy? Does it matter that the therapist has recovered from similar problems to me? Or from the same cultural or similar beliefs e.g. spirituality.

•Does the therapist gender, age, and how much they charge matter? Should I work with a trainee? How come I keep finding the "wrong" therapist?

The beginning of any great adventure requires solid preparatory work and tools. I hope this resource will be that for you.

"Concise and easy to read for clients. I will definitely recommend this to all my clients".
Sam Jamal – MBACP BACP Registered Counsellor

"Now I get what what therapy is about and why it has been faltering"
Andrew P (Coaching client)