How to find a good therapist

If you are looking for therapy for depression and anxiety in London and do not know how to find a good therapist, or are struggling to figure out if you need therapy at all, you might want to consider a few things first.

If you feel that you are coping with stress or low mood well, and manage to use your own strengths and the support around you, you might not need therapy. But you might still want to attend therapy, as a way to learn tools and skills for managing problems in life. Therapy can help you manage stress, do problem solving, finds ways forward when feeling stuck, make decisions in line with your goals and values, as well as help you feel better in your mood.

Some psychological problems do benefit from therapy, as they would in most cases not spontaneously go away by themselves. If you suffer from a psychological problem, such as OCD or Body Dysmorphic Disorder, it is sadly unlikely that your condition would improve without therapy or other forms of psychological support.

It is important to make sure that the therapist you are considering seeing has the right training and experience of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, if this is a therapy option you are considering.

So how to find a good therapist to treat depression or anxiety? Within the UK, Cognitive Behaviour Therapists can achieve accreditation with the BABCP (British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies). To find a registered Psychologist, you can search the psychologist register through HCPC (Health & Care Professions Council). In order to practise as a psychologist in the UK, HCPC registration is mandatory. These registers are to ensure good quality of care and that the therapists helping people with psychological problems follow ethical guidelines. If you want a good therapist, word of mouth recommendations can be helpful. However, keep in mind that one person can fit well with a therapist, whereas another person might not fit as well personality wise.

Finding the right therapy for depression or anxiety can be scary and confusing, as there are many therapists listed on google. I am a London based Cognitive Behaviour Therapist and Clinical Psychologist, specialising in depression and anxiety treatment. If you wish to find out more about my credentials and see if I am the Cognitive Behaviour Therapist for you, do read the personal section on the CBT Innovation website. I also hold full accreditation with the BABCP and the HCPC.

To read a brief article about finding the right therapist, written by the world renowned CBT therapist Judith S. Beck, here.