How do I choose a Therapist or Coach?
Research, and there has been a lot of it, has shown time and time again that for most types of therapy (known as “modalities” in the trade) the relationship between the Client and the Therapist is the most important predictor of success. So if you get on with your Therapist or Coach, you are likely to get a much better outcome that with someone you don’t gel with.
I always encourage Clients to listen to their gut instinct when it comes to working with me or any other Therapist or Coach as not everyone will work well together. Questions to ask yourself might be:
Do I feel I understand them?
Do I feel that they understand me?
Do I feel comfortable opening up to this person?
Do I feel happy with their terms and conditions?
Do I feel they understand my issues that have brought me to them?
Do I feel safe speaking to them?
Do I feel they are competent enough to work with me?
Some of these may not be immediately apparent and keeping an open mind is important. you’re not expected to like your Therapist or Coach immediately but if you cannot see yourself saying yes to all of the above at some point, then it’s possibly better to consider looking for another person to work with.
There are a number of places to try, some of which are listed below: