How to choose a therapist
Choosing a therapist can feel like one more decision at a time when you have limited energy for decisions. There is no perfect choice, and no way to know for certain in advance. What you can do is ask good questions and pay attention to how you feel in the conversation. This page sets out what to look for, what to ask, and a few things worth knowing before you start.
Start with what you want from therapy
Before you look at any profiles, it helps to spend ten minutes on your own thinking about what you are looking for. You do not need a polished answer. A few notes are enough.
What would you like to be different? Try to describe it in everyday terms. “I want to be able to drive on motorways again” is more useful than “I want to be less anxious”, though either is a fine place to start.
What has already helped, or not helped? If you have had therapy before, what worked and what did not is valuable information for a new therapist.
In person or online? Both work well. In person means travel and a fixed location. Online means you can work with a therapist anywhere in the country, from your own home, though you will need a private space and a reliable connection.
When can you actually attend? Evenings and weekends are in shorter supply than weekday daytimes. Knowing your real availability saves time.
What can you commit to? Therapy asks something of you between sessions as well as during them. It is worth being honest with yourself about how much time and energy you have right now.
What is your budget? Fees vary. Ask early rather than late, so cost is not a surprise at the point you have already built a relationship with someone.
What every therapist on this directory has already done
Every therapist listed here has completed the Hypno-CBT® Diploma with the College. Before we publish a listing we also require evidence of professional indemnity insurance and membership of a professional body, and we ask for that evidence again at annual renewal.
Please still ask to see it yourself. Our checks happen at those two points, not continuously. A therapist could provide a valid insurance certificate at renewal and let the policy lapse a few months later, and we would not know until their next renewal came round. We are a training provider and the operator of this directory. We are not a regulator, and we do not monitor individual practices between checks.
So ask to see a current insurance certificate, and ask which professional body they belong to. Any therapist listed here should be able to show you both without hesitation, and none of them will be surprised to be asked. If someone is reluctant, or cannot produce it, treat that as your answer and speak to someone else.
Two other things to be clear about. Our therapists are independent practitioners running their own practices, not employees of the College. And a listing here confirms training and credentials. It is not a judgement about which therapist is right for you. Only you can work that out.
What to look for in a profile
Experience with what you are bringing
A therapist who regularly works with your kind of concern will have a clearer sense of what tends to help. It is a reasonable thing to ask about directly.
How they describe their work
Do you understand what they are saying? Clear, plain language is a good sign. Claims that sound too good to be true are not.
Practical details
Location, whether they offer online sessions, availability, fees, and how to contact them.
How the profile reads to you
This one is less measurable and still matters. You are looking for someone you can talk openly with. If someone’s way of writing puts you at ease, that is a good start.
Be a little cautious about anyone promising guaranteed results, a specific number of sessions to a cure, or the language of curing or treating medical conditions. Therapists advertising in the UK must keep to the CAP Code, which does not permit those claims. If you see something on a profile here that looks inconsistent with it, please let us know at support@hypno-cbt.com.
Make a shortlist, not a choice
Pick two or three therapists rather than one. Every therapist listed here offers a free initial consultation, so a shortlist costs you nothing but a little time, and it gives you something to compare.
It is entirely normal to speak to more than one therapist before deciding, and no reputable therapist will mind. If anyone makes you feel awkward for doing so, that in itself tells you something.
Questions to ask before you book
1. About their experience
• Have you worked with people bringing something similar to this before?
• How would you approach something like this?
• What sort of results do people usually see, and how long does it usually take?
• Is there anything about my situation that would make you suggest a different kind of support?
2. About how you would work together
• What happens in a typical session?
• What will you expect of me between sessions?
• How will we know whether things are moving in the right direction?
• What if I do not feel able to be hypnotised, or I find it difficult?
• What happens if it is not working?
3. About the practical side
• How long is a session, and how much does it cost?
• How many sessions do you think we would need? Do you offer any package or block arrangement?
• How do I pay, and when?
• What is your cancellation policy?
• Can I contact you between sessions? How, and is there a charge?
• Do you offer both in person and online sessions?
4. About professional standards
• Which professional body are you a member of, and is your membership current?
• Are you insured, and could I see your current certificate?
• Do you have regular supervision?
• How do you handle confidentiality, and are there circumstances where you would need to share information?
• If I had a concern about the therapy, what is the process?
If asking about credentials feels awkward, it is worth knowing that therapists are used to it and generally pleased to be asked. It is a sign you are taking the work seriously.
You do not need to ask all of these. Pick the ones that matter to you. Most therapists will cover much of this in the initial consultation without being asked. If asking about credentials feels awkward, it is worth knowing that therapists are used to it and generally pleased to be asked. It is a sign you are taking the work seriously.
Questions to ask during your first session
Once you have started, these are worth returning to.
• What are we working towards, and how will we know when we get there?
• Where do you think we are up to?
• Is there anything I could be doing differently?
• Can we adjust the approach? Something is not quite fitting.
Trust how the conversation feels
Credentials and experience get someone onto your shortlist. What usually decides it is something less tangible.
After a consultation call, it is worth asking yourself a few questions.
• Did they listen, or mostly talk?
• Did they check they had understood you correctly?
• Did you feel able to be honest, or were you managing what you said?
• Were you comfortable with any silences?
• Did they answer your questions clearly, including the practical ones?
• Did you feel any pressure to commit?
The relationship between you and your therapist matters to how well therapy goes. Feeling reasonably comfortable is not a luxury. It is part of what makes the work possible.
You will not always feel comfortable in therapy. Some of it involves looking at things you would rather not, and that can be uncomfortable in a useful way. What you are looking for at the start is not comfort exactly. It is the sense that this is someone you could be uncomfortable in front of and still feel safe.
The relationship between you and your therapist matters to how well therapy goes. Feeling reasonably comfortable is not a luxury. It is part of what makes the work possible.
You will not always feel comfortable in therapy. Some of it involves looking at things you would rather not, and that can be uncomfortable in a useful way. What you are looking for at the start is not comfort exactly. It is the sense that this is someone you could be uncomfortable in front of and still feel safe.
If it turns out not to be a good fit
Sometimes you choose someone and after a session or two it is not right. That happens, and it is not a failure on anyone’s part.
Say something first. A good therapist will want to know, and will often be able to adjust how they are working. Bringing it up is a normal part of therapy rather than a complaint.
If it still is not right, you are free to stop and to work with someone else. You do not owe anyone an explanation, though a short and honest one is usually appreciated. Check the cancellation terms you agreed, and if you have paid in advance for sessions you have not had, ask about that directly.
Changing therapist does not mean therapy will not work for you. It means that particular pairing was not the one.
A few things worth knowing
A free consultation is not a first session. It is usually a short call to work out whether you and the therapist are a reasonable match, and to answer your questions. It is not the therapy itself.
Hypnosis is not what films suggest. You stay aware, you stay in control, and you cannot be made to do anything you do not want to do. It is closer to being absorbed in a book or a film than to being asleep. Our page on What to expect in sessions describes what actually happens.
Between sessions, you’ll usually be asked to try something out: practising a technique, noticing a pattern, or making a small change in daily life. This is a normal part of a Hypno-CBT® approach and a large part of what makes it work.
Therapy is not a medical treatment. If your concern relates to your physical or mental health, talk to your GP as well, either before you start or alongside. A good therapist will encourage that and will say so if they think another professional is better placed to help.
Your therapist may say they are not the right person. If that happens, they are working properly. It takes more integrity to refer someone on than to take the booking.
Take your time, unless you need help now. There is no prize for deciding quickly.
Ready to start looking?
Find a therapist
Browse practitioners by location, specialism and session type. Every therapist listed offers a free initial consultation, so you can have a conversation before committing to anything.
Not sure where to begin?
Our Common Issues pages describe some of the areas people come to a Hypno-CBT® therapist for.
Ready to start your Hypno-CBT® journey?
Book a discovery call with our admissions team and find the right pathway for you.