How to Find The Right Counsellor For You in Your Area

Finding a counsellor can be daunting. It can be hard to know where to look and what to look for. Below is my advice for finding someone for your specific needs.

1)      Most businesses are on Google.

A google search is often a great way to start. You may need to be specific about the area as ‘counsellor suburb name’ or, for example, in Perth you may look for ‘counsellor north/south of the river. This will help you narrow your search.

2)       Check the counsellor’s area of expertise.

Many counsellors have an area of expertise. I, for one, specialize in youth and young adult counselling. So, when searching you may want to check out what the counsellor has listed as their niche. You may also add this to your search terms. For example, ‘youth counsellor, north of the river’.

3)      Enquire with the counsellor.

It is important to make sure that the counsellor’s approach is suited for you. Some take a psychodynamic approach while others might have a cognitive behaviour focus. Others, such as myself, may take a multimodal approach but will still have a basis in one form or another. If you’ve tried an approach before and know it did not work well for you then make sure you look for someone with other approaches.

4)      Don’t be afraid to try out a session.

I offer my first session as half price for a reason. The therapeutic alliance is imperative to the success of counselling so I view that first session as a chance to build the therapeutic alliance and allow the client to discover if they think we could work well together. If the counsellor you’re trying out doesn’t work for you that’s fine. We want you to find a counsellor that will work for you. If it’s not us, we will understand.

I hope this helps you gain some confidence in finding a counsellor in your area for your specific needs. If you are interested in my services, please click the contact information and contact me in a form of your choosing.