How to choose a counsellor

What "lists LGBT" means here

Every counsellor in this directory has chosen LGBT as one of the specialties on their profile. That tells you they have said they work with lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans clients. It does not tell you how much experience they have, what training they have done, or anything about their own identity. Those are fair questions to ask directly.

You do not need to be talking about sexuality or gender to choose someone from this list. Many people simply want to know that the person they are speaking to will not need things explained, and can get on with whatever brought them to counselling.

Approaches you will see listed

Counsellors on this directory most often list these approaches. Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it; ask directly how they use it.

• Client-Centred Therapy
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Solution-Focused Therapy
• Psychodynamic Therapy
• Mindfulness Therapy
• Trauma-Focused Therapy

Structured approaches such as CBT and solution-focused work set clear goals and often suggest things to try between sessions. Client-centred and psychodynamic work is more open and gives you room to think out loud. Many counsellors combine them; the combination matters less than whether the person makes sense to you.

What to compare on a profile

1. What else they work with. Every profile lists the areas the counsellor works with. If you want to talk about anxiety, a relationship, family or something that happened to you, look for someone who names that too. See every topic counsellors here list.
2. How they describe their work. Read the biography as well as the labels. Does the way they write sound like someone you could talk to?
3. Registration. Each profile shows the professional body the counsellor is registered with. BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) and NCPS (National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society) are the most common here; HCPC (Health and Care Professions Council) registers practitioner psychologists and arts therapists. Each body publishes a register you can check. Browse by registration.
4. Experience. Years in practice is background, not a ranking.
5. Language. If you would rather speak in a language other than English, the languages line settles it quickly.

Questions you can ask first

It is fine to ask a counsellor how they work with LGBT clients, what they would expect to cover in a first session, and how they handle things like names and pronouns. You can also ask about session length and timing. A good counsellor will be comfortable with those questions.

What a first session is for

Nobody can tell in advance whether a counsellor suits them. The first session is where you find out: whether you feel able to say what is really going on, and whether their response makes you want to come back. Changing counsellor after a session or two is normal.

If you need help now

This directory is not a crisis service. If you are struggling to cope, call Samaritans free on 116 123, at any hour. For urgent medical help that is not an emergency, call NHS 111. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999.