YES:

1. If you have any kind of psychological / emotional or behavioural problems effecting your life.

2. You do want to make changes in your life.

3. The more specific the problem, the easier to deal with.

4. For general problems such as low self esteem or generally being depressed, or generalised anxiety expect the therapy to last longer.

5. Specific problems usually are sitting on top of underlying and often unconscious problems.

6. It is a good idea to consider the level of therapy you wish to go through.

NOT in Private practice:

1. If you want to use medication or hospitalisation as a means of treatment.

2. If you are dealing with problems which are described as psychotic.

3. If you don't want to change your life!

• Do I think I can work with this therapist?

• How much training have they had?

• Does the therapist have their own therapist?

•  Does the therapist continue their own professional development and supervision.

Do not see any therapist who has not been in regular therapy themselves! Even if not still in regular therapy themselves, most therapists will have a therapist they can turn to for their own needs.

• Does the therapist receive regular supervision? Only see them if they say yes!

• Is the therapist registered or in training with a recognised psychotherapy registering body?

All therapists work in their own way, however there will be similarities.

• An intake interview, giving all your personal details.

• An exploration of how your past is influencing how you are experiencing the present problems.

• An exploration of what you are wanting to achieve in the therapy.

• Use of the relationship between yourself and the therapist as a means of understanding how to make the changes you wish to make in your life.

• Use of specific psychological techniques to deal with specific problems.

• The four stages of therapy are often described as outlined below. these four stages describe both the overall process as well as each session.

1. Contact: developing your relationship with the therapist.

2. Contract: deciding what you are wanting to change.

3. Content: Dealing with the issues.

4. Concluding: dealing with the ending of the relationship.