Finding a therapist that fits with you can be a real challenge. There are so many different terms, acronyms and titles out there - where do you begin? Looking for LGBT therapy in particular can be tricky. We know from research that LGBTQ+ people face barriers in accessing healthcare (e.g. limited LGBTQ+ specific mental health care providers; bad experiences; fears of and actual discrimination). How do you find a therapist who will be understanding, accepting and supportive of your identity?
Well, here are three steps, complete with some insights into therapy land and speak, to help guide you in finding an LGBTQ+ friendly therapist to meet your needs.
Searching for therapist by identity can help narrow your search
LGBTQ+ is a broad and diverse range of identities, and each sub-group may have very different needs and experiences. People also come to therapy with various different needs and goals. LGBT therapy should be sensitive to these experiences and needs, such as coming out, stigma and discrimination, and diversity in relationship styles. Having a think through this can be helpful to find a list of possible therapists who might be able to help you.
For example, if you think you are experiencing low mood and low self-confidence that is related to your sexuality, you know to find therapists who understand and can treat low mood, confidence issues and are aware of/affirmative of sexualities. Likewise, if you want support around going through a gender transition, finding a therapist who is knowledgeable about this would help.
Try the following questions to help clarify this:
How do you identify your gender and/or sexuality (if known)?
For example, with gender identity, you might identify as trans, non-binary, gender non-conforming or cisgender or another term.
With sexuality, you might identify with gay, lesbian, pansexual, asexual or bisexual and so on.
You might also relate to terms like polyamorous, non-monogmous or monogamous.
Therapists will have particular interest in and experiences of working with different identities, so this will firstly help you to narrow your search and secondly will give you a clearer sense of what you are looking for.
2) Clarify what you want and need from therapy
This can be tricky and a therapist can help to clarify what you want help with, but therapists have expertise with different needs so having some ideas can help to narrow your search. If you want support with a particular mental health difficulty, such as depression or anxiety; or with LGBTQ+ issues such as coming out, dealing with discrimination, or relationships; or perhaps it is about exploring and clarifying your identity.
Your sexuality and/or gender may not be want you want therapy for, in which case, trying to find some key words to express your main concerns may help to narrow your search, such as ‘low confidence’, ‘anxiety’, ‘phobia’.
Do you want some open, supportive space to talk through things? Or perhaps you want to understand and address a specific problem which is getting in the way, such as anxiety or low self-esteem? Or perhaps it is about support along a particular journey, like coming out or transitioning? Have a think about your goals for therapy and have a look at what different therapists can help people with.
3) Think about the different types of therapy
Therapist and psychologist qualifications are a complicated minefield. There are many different types of therapy, types of therapist, and regulations in place to protect the public from unqualified therapists delivering therapy. This is especially important for LGBTQ+ therapy, where there are harms associated with therapy, such as attempts at ‘conversion therapy’, being misgendered, and a general lack of understanding for LGBTQ+ issues.
There are three important factors to look for in a therapist. These are:
1- Their approach or model(s) of therapy
You might hear different terms like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Counselling, Psychodynamic Therapy and Integrative Therapy. These are all specific models of therapy, and each have a slightly different style or focus. Some will be more guided, practical and focused; while others will be more open-ended, non-specific and led by you. Most are typically a bit of both styles. CBT, for example, will focus a bit on understanding how your past experiences might have influenced your beliefs and actions in the here and now, and work with you to address those patterns. Psychodynamic therapy might typically focus more on your emotions and relationships. Counselling typically looks at hearing and understanding your experiences in a more general sense.
Some therapists will have a main model or two, or may use more. It is worth thinking about the sort of style of therapy you want, and these are questions to ask your therapist – what approach(es) do they use? How might that fit with me and my needs? What would I like from my therapist?
2- Their qualifications
You might also hear of therapists and psychologists with different qualifications, such as Clinical or Counselling Psychologists, Psychotherapists, and Counsellors. This can be tricky to navigate.
In brief, they fall into three main categories.
Clinical and Counselling Psychologists are trained to a doctoral level, the highest level of academic achievement, using a mixture of clinical placements, academic assignments and conducting research. They often have many years of experience before their three year trainings, and are often trained to work with people across the lifespan with a broad range of needs. Their training is often to view the person in context and from a holistic perspective, and they are trained to be competent in at least two models of therapy (CBT is typically one of these).
Psychotherapists are normally trained in one specific model of therapy in-depth, which typically takes a number of years. For example, they may be trained in delivering CBT, or psychodynamic therapy, or some form of combination (known as ‘integrative’). Typically their backgrounds will either be a core profession (like a nurse, psychiatrist, or counsellor) with additional training.
Counsellors are trained in core counselling skills – enabling them to explore, understand and work with your experience. Counselling training varies massively, meaning they may also draw upon various different models of therapy, such as CBT and psychodynamic, to help them in supporting you. They are typically integrative in their approach and focus.
The qualification of the therapist is therefore another important thing to consider. It can be helpful to think about how different styles might fit with what you want out of therapy. Of course, no two therapists even from the same profession will practice in exactly the same way, as each therapist brings their own experience and personality to the therapy room, too.
There are also LGBTQ+ specific therapy training courses; they are not qualifications on their own, but they do indicate that a therapist has done extra learning about LGBTQ+ communities and their needs.
3- Their registration and accreditation
Lastly, every therapist and psychologist should be registered with a regulatory body. Being registered with a regulatory body has two important functions: it holds therapists and psychologists ethically accountable for their practice; and it is a mark of them having passed an accredited course, meaning they are competent to practice.
It is important to check and ask that your potential therapist is registered. As if the field isn’t complicated enough, each qualification has different regulatory bodies. Some therapists may have multiple registrations or accreditations.
The main ones to look out for are:
- Health Care Professions Council (HCPC – for Clinical and Counselling Psychologists)
- British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP – for CBT therapists)
- British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP – for counsellors and psychotherapists of various types and backgrounds)
- United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP – for counsellors and psychotherapists of various types and backgrounds)
There are a few others, so it is worth asking your therapist about their registration, though this should be clear on their website.
Final tips
Websites like Pink Therapy, Psychology Today and Counselling Directory all have lists of therapists, with helpful search features to specify their qualifications, skills, interests and experiences. If you have insurance, insurers typically have the same.
Remember that the ‘fit’ between you and your therapist is also important; it is perfectly normal to have a few initial phone calls before going with a therapist, and it is absolutely okay to change if the fit does not feel helpful. Therapists appreciate open conversations about this.
We hope that these guiding points are helpful for you in your journey of finding a therapist. If it is proving challenging, we offer complimentary consultation calls of up to 20 minutes and are always happy to provide support. See our services page to book.
All the very best on your journey!
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