About Helpspace
All of us feel we need support at different times in our lives.
In fact, issues such as anxiety and depression affect one in four of us at some stage during our lifetime.
However, you do not need to have a 'diagnosis' to feel that talking to someone about how you feel and what is happening in your life would be helpful. In fact, the majority of people who attend counselling do not have a mental health condition, but simply want to address aspects of their lives which are causing them difficulty or distress.
But with so many therapists and so many different types of therapy, how do you choose what is right for you?
Informed by research from the University of Strathclyde Helpspace assists you in finding the right therapist for your specific needs.
Our goal
Our goal is to connect any person seeking online therapy with the counsellor who will give them the best chance of success. We want to simplify finding the right therapist for you.
Research published in the International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology (2015) shows that:
- If you and your therapist share the same preferences about how therapy should proceed, outcomes are far more successful.
- Being actively involved in choosing your own counsellor leads to better results from therapy.
- Establishing a good relationship with your therapist improves results.
But how do you choose someone who is likely to fit all of these criteria and therefore get the most out of therapy?
Luckily there are certain key factors that really help you choose. Helpspace has designed a way for you to choose your own counsellor, out of the few who are most suited your needs.
In need of support? Get started here.
Team
Based in Norwich, Martha is a professional BACP counsellor and works to uphold quality standards and to make sure that best practices of the counselling profession are adhered to at all times. Francis manages the Helpspace platform, web development and keeps Helpspace running smoothly.
Why choose Helpspace?
If you are here you are probably considering counselling.
As someone looking for the right therapist you are often confronted with long lists of therapists on directories using acronyms and jargon to describe what they do. It can be difficult to find out what makes one counsellor or type of therapy different from another, and it can be difficult to get a realistic idea of what to expect from working with a specific counsellor.
It is a big step to seek help, and seeking support should be as simple as possible so you can get to the point of working with a qualified, trustworthy counsellor as soon as you want to.
Our goal is to connect any person who wants online therapy with the counsellor who is going to give them the best chance of success.
Helpspace offers:
- A short, anonymous questionnaire, inspired by research by Cooper/Norcross (2016), to identify what you want from therapy.
- Counsellors suggested for you - based on your preferences.
- Detailed counsellor profiles and information, free of professional jargon, designed to help you make an informed choice.
- Counsellors are verified by Helpspace so that you know you are working with a trustworthy professional.
- Accessible, online counselling via video-call so you can get started as soon as possible.
In need of support? Get started here.
Where should I start when seeking counselling?
The most important, and possibly hardest, step is deciding that you are ready to start counselling.
The next step is to find out which counsellor you feel most comfortable working with. Most counsellors work with a wide range of issues and work with you as a person, not just with the 'problem'.
However, you may want to work with a specialist therapist, in which case Helpspace can direct you to therapists who specialise in what you need.
For most people, however, what's more important is feeling comfortable with your therapist and knowing that they suit your preferences.
Different therapists work well with different people, and not every therapist suits everyone. You and your therapist sharing these preferences is one of the main factors in making therapy successful.
Helpspace has designed a short questionnaire which will check what your preferences are. This questionnaire is completely anonymous and private.
Helpspace will then display the therapist profiles that match your preferences. You choose the right therapist for you.
Find the right therapist or counsellor for you by completing the questionnaire linked below: