How to find a counsellor that suits you
“I think I would like to start counselling, but I am not sure if I need it? What are the important things I need to consider? How do I know I am making the right choice? Who would be a good counsellor for me? I will be opening my heart to this person and I need to know I can trust him/her. I need to find the best counsellor for me to help me move forward with my life.”
There are some points that you may wish to consider when thinking about starting counselling:
- Evaluate the services offered by a number of different counsellors so you can make the best decision to suit you: what are their methods of working with their clients? What are their fees? Will the counselling service be covered by your insurance? How long does the estimated process last for?
- Ensure you ask about the counsellor’s credentials, qualifications and experience. Check if they are affiliated to a professional body. For example, I am a member of the NIP (Dutch Association of Psychologists) and I make it clear on my website. It is important to know which ethical guidelines each counsellor follows.
- Browse every single page of a counsellor’s website in order to get a clear picture of who they are, what their philosophy is and how you can benefit from the services they offer.
- A good counsellor listens carefully to you, with empathy, and without making any judgement. He/She should exercise self-control, patience and acceptance. The counsellor’s primary responsibility is to make you feel comfortable so that you feel free to express yourself, in a safe place and by building a rapport with you. This will eventually help you to move forward.
- If you are at a point in your life where you don’t know where to go, what to do or what is important to you anymore, then working with a counsellor will help you. If you are unsure of what you would like to work on, then this can be the starting point for discussion. You can talk about your strengths and areas you would like to improve, helping you to identify a meaningful path for you to follow – once you identify, you can rectify.
- You can ask the counsellor if they offer a get acquainted chat so you can speak to them under no obligation. You can then make a decision about whether to go ahead with them or not. Expat Nest offers a 15-minute get acquainted chat: simply click here and leave your message and we will get straight back to you.
- How you feel about your counsellor is of primary importance. After the first session, ask yourself: “Do I feel comfortable telling him/her about my life? Do I like and trust my counsellor?”
If you are at a point in your life where you would like to give counselling a try then Expat Nest offers online counselling services. You can choose from a 30-minute or a 60-minute session, in the comfort of your own home or environment. Remember, Expat Nest’s online counselling is just a click away. Are you ready to give it a try?
Now, I would love to hear from you. What do you think are important qualities in a counsellor? What would you look for? Please leave a comment below.
Did you like this article? If so, share it with one person who perhaps might need counselling at this point in his/her life. After all, sharing is caring…And do subscribe to our TOP EXPAT TIPS!
FEEL FREE TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR BLOG OR NEWSLETTER. We ask only that you attribute Expat Nest and include the following: Expat Nest (www.expatnest.com) is a professional online counselling service for expats.
Thank you for this article, Vivian. Finding a counselor or a psychologist is such a delicate thing that I was struggling with for quite some time. I had to overcome my personal barriers and prejudice, I had to tell myself that it’s not stigmatizing. If I want my hair to get cut, I’m also not ashamed to visit a hairdresser, so why would I be when going to a therapist?
The second hard thing, though, was to find a fitting counselor for me. Offering a free 10-30 min meeting or call to get to know each other is something very rare, so I only looked at a website of a few counselors and went to one. It didn’t feel quite right, though, so after one session (which I paid), I left. It wasn’t easy, but I wasn’t sure and comfortable enough. After that I went to another psychologist (with a few months in between) and this one felt just great, since the first minute.
It’s really important to trust your guts. If I could go back in time, I would ‘dare’ to ask for a few minute call or meeting, just to get to know each other.
It’s really great that you offer this, Vivian. Once more thank you for this article!
Dear Caroline
Thanks so much for your comment and good to hear that after searching you found the right counsellor for you. Indeed it is so important to find a good professional who will approach you with integrity, genuine care and compassion which are some of our core values at Expat Nest.
Thanks for appreciating our offer and good to have you here
Vivian
My sister called me up last Friday night and told me about how she has been having a lot of anxiety since losing her job recently. That’s why she thinks it will be good for her if she seeks out counselling services. I decided to help her out with some research and thankfully, I stumbled on your brilliant post. I think its great how you highlighted that its best to understand the services offered by a number of different counsellors, where you get a better idea of how they deal with their clients. This is a good point you made here, where I’m sure those like my sister will be happy to be mindful of. I’ll share this with her later today! Thank you!
Dear Dean
Thank you so much for the positive feedback on the article, and how wonderful that you are supporting your sister to find the right help for her.
Warm regards
Vivian