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Nine questions for any therapist

Tick what matters to you, then print it and take it with you. It works as well for me as for anyone else.

What is your training, and who accredited it?
Ask for the name of the accrediting body, not just a course title.
Are you in supervision yourself?
The answer should be yes, with a frequency. A therapist without supervision has no corrective.
Do you work often with what I am bringing?
"I work with everything" is weaker than a list of what they do rarely or not at all.
What happens if it gets too much mid-session?
There should be a concrete agreement, described before it is needed.
How will we know it is helping?
Something checkable — sleep, avoidance, how often the attacks come.
What if it is not helping?
A good answer includes a timeframe and a plan B, including referral elsewhere.
Roughly how many sessions, and when will you know?
A range plus the point the estimate sharpens. An exact number up front is a sale.
What is kept, for how long, and who can see it?
A clear answer without hesitation, and in writing if you ask.
Can I stop whenever I want?
The answer is always yes. An explanation of why that would be a mistake is information about the therapist.

To print, press Ctrl + P, or Cmd + P on a Mac. The printed sheet drops the navigation and fits on one page.

When the answer is itself the answer

Taking offence at any of these questions
A number of sessions promised before they know what they are working with
A package paid up front that cannot be stopped
A claim that the method works for everyone and everything
Pressure to book now, or "there is one place left"

Useful even if you never come

Most people ask nothing before a first session, because making the call was hard enough and because it feels like checking up on an authority.

This is a service you are paying for, and one that can shake you. You would ask the same of the person fixing your roof, and no good therapist will take offence.

Ask me them

The first call lasts twenty minutes and is free of charge. Nine questions fit into it without rushing.

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