Finding the Right Psychotherapist

All psychologists specialising in psychotherapy have degrees and post-graduate professional training in psychology and the practice of psychotherapy. The majority are clinical and counselling psychologists, whose post-graduate training includes psychotherapy, but others have trained initially in other areas such as forensic and educational psychology. All, therefore, have an extensive knowledge of general psychology, which provides the foundation of their specific training and experience as practitioners of psychotherapy. They are all able to work with a wide range of difficulties and distress and will take time to assess the potential for useful work with each client.

It is very important to note that all psychologists registered with the British Psychological Society adhere to the Code of Ethics and Conduct that sets a high standard of ethical practice and that the Society has a complaints procedure for dealing with breaches of the code.

As a potential client, finding a therapist can, nevertheless, be confusing. Because of the complexity of human experience and behaviour and the range of theories and research that has developed, a range of approaches to psychotherapy has also developed. Psychotherapists, therefore, often describe their work in terms of the specific approaches in which they have trained. Common approaches are ‘cognitive or cognitive-behavioural’, ‘humanistic or person-centred’, ‘psychodynamic or psychoanalytic’, ‘systemic’ and so on. Many will, however, describe their work as ‘integrative’ because they draw on more than one approach. Because the relationship between therapists and their clients is so central, this is often not as important as finding someone with whom you feel comfortable and able to work co-operatively. It can, however, be the case that a particular approach will suit your own outlook and temperament or particular difficulty. The following are brief descriptions of these common approaches.

They have differing emphases and techniques but all are rooted in a psychological understanding of how we develop and learn from relationships and life experiences, to think, feel and behave, to make and maintain relationships and to respond to events and situations.

• Cognitive and cognitive-behavioural approaches: These approaches focus on how we learn to think and behave. Psychological distress can be related to patterns of thinking and behaviour that cause difficulties and therapists often work with clients to identify these patterns and change them.


• Humanistic and person-centred approaches: These approaches focus on the conditions that affect our sense of self and the ways we feel about and value ourselves. Much distress can be linked to a lack of self-worth and therapists often work with clients to understand how they have learnt to see themselves and to build self-esteem.


• Psychoanalytic and psychodynamic approaches: These approaches focus on the ways early experiences in family relationships can affect our development and well being throughout life. Such experiences can have profound effects that are largely unconscious and therapists often work with clients to understand and ameliorate distress rooted in early experience.


• Systemic approaches: These approaches focus on systems of relationships in families and groups and the ways that individuals are shaped by group expectations and the roles they play. Therapists often work with individuals, families or groups to understand and change patterns of relationship that cause difficulties.

From even such brief descriptions, it can perhaps be seen that any one person’s difficulty in coping with a particular situation, or their more general distress, anxiety or depression, may contain elements of all of the above and that different approaches often represent different ways in and differing means to similar ends.

A great deal more could be said about each of these approaches and about other approaches and techniques. It is intended to provide more information in the future and to respond to common questions.