Welcome to the Register Use the links on the left to search for a Trauma Specialist by Region:

We include some guidelines below to assist you in choosing your therapist:

Guidelines for seeking assistance

There is no foolproof way of finding the 'right' therapist for you. When speaking to potential therapists, trust your own instincts. Above all, does the therapist inspire confidence in you? Have they convinced you they know what they are talking about? Like every single field of human endeavour there are therapists whom it is best to avoid.

A good therapist will be caring, attentive and respectful. They will listen carefully to you and make sure that they understand exactly what you are asking them. A good therapist will be willing to, and capable of, explaining what they do and how it works. They will also only agree to treat you for any condition when you are in a position of informed consent. You can feel a lot better with the help of someone who has the right kind of therapeutic personality and approach and is able to stay within ethical boundaries.

Points to consider:

First of all make sure that if you have any physical symptoms that you have contacted your doctor.

Do some research on the problem that you are considering seeking therapy for

Do some research on the therapies available

Speak to several therapists and ask them to send you their information packs

Make sure that any therapists you speak to are knowledgeable about the problem area that you are seeking assistance with

Ask them about their experience with YOUR problem or concerns specifically

A listing in a directory such as Yellow Pages, Thompson Directory or other should not be taken as an endorsement of a therapist. Generally these directories DO NOT carry out any checks on people who advertise with them other than their ability to pay for the ad. It is a testament to the power of advertising that many people erroneously believe that finding someone via these directories is a guarantee of quality.  It isn't, you need to know more about your therapist

Should be able to competently answer any of your questions, especially relating to objectives and methods of treatment

Speaks to you in an easy to understand manner

They should focus on goals and results as opposed to theories of how or why the problems began in the first place

Focus is on the here and now, as opposed to the past

Acts as an educator, providing information on how you can become more resilient in the future

To Avoid:

A therapist is there to work for your best interests within an ethical framework. They are responsible for respecting boundaries and their behaviour towards you can be summed up as forming part of their 'duty of care' towards you. In short, their job is to help you to get better. It is always best to avoid therapists who:

insist that you need to recover hidden or repressed memories

tell you all about their own problems

attempts to make contact with you socially

ask questions that make you uncomfortable


POSSIBLE QUESTIONS TO ASK

What is your approach to therapy?

Provide the therapist with a brief overview of your problem and then how they will be able to assist?

Ask how much experience they have you had in treating your type of problem?

Ask how long the process likely to take? (This will not be an exact science as different people will have differing requirements, but it should give you an indication of how long the therapist has worked with similar clients in the past)

How will we know when the therapy is working?

What kind of things would you expect me to be doing between our appointments?