How to choose a psychologist — what to look for

Choosing a psychologist is an unusual decision. You are often looking for someone to help with something that may still be difficult to understand yourself, and you are expected to make that choice from a website, a photograph and a few paragraphs of information, often at a time when you are already feeling depleted.

There is no perfect way to choose. But some things are more useful to consider than others. Registration and professional scope provide the essential starting point; after that, experience, areas of practice, therapeutic approach and, ultimately, the sense that you can work well with this particular person matter far more than a polished website or an impressive list of credentials alone. There is no single set of credentials or qualities that makes one psychologist right for everyone. What matters is finding someone whose training, experience and way of working fit the kind of help you are looking for.

Start with registration

In South Africa, psychologist is a legally protected professional title. If someone describes themselves as a psychologist, they should be registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) in the appropriate psychology category. Registration provides an important baseline: qualifications and supervised training have been assessed, and the practitioner is accountable to a professional regulatory body and its complaints process.

You can verify a psychologist’s registration directly with the HPCSA. Their registration details should also be readily available if you ask. It is worth checking not only that someone is registered, but which category they are registered in — for example, clinical, counselling or educational psychology — as registration category relates to their training and scope of practice.

Registration is the starting point, not the whole decision. Once you know that a practitioner is appropriately registered, the more useful questions are about their experience, areas of practice, therapeutic approach and whether they seem like someone you could work well with.

Then consider which professional is right for you

Clinical and counselling psychologists both provide psychological assessment and psychotherapy, although their training and areas of practice differ. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who can prescribe medication and manage conditions where medical treatment is an important part of care. Registered counsellors provide psychological screening, supportive counselling and early intervention within a more defined scope. We set the distinctions out in psychologist, psychiatrist or counsellor.

Sometimes one professional is enough; sometimes care is best shared between professionals. For example, someone experiencing significant depression, bipolar disorder or another condition where medication may be indicated might work with both a psychologist and a psychiatrist.

Look for relevant experience

A psychologist who works regularly with the kind of difficulty you are experiencing is likely to bring a deeper familiarity with its particular challenges. If you are seeking help for trauma, for example, look for appropriate trauma training and experience. The same applies to areas such as OCD, eating disorders, grief or relationship difficulties, where relevant experience can make a meaningful difference.

At the same time, a psychologist does not need to list a separate speciality for every possible problem. Many practitioners work across a broad range of concerns. What matters is whether their experience is genuinely relevant to what has brought you to therapy.

Understand what “approach” means — and how much it matters

You will often see terms such as CBT, EMDR, psychodynamic therapy, schema therapy and ACT. These describe different ways of understanding psychological difficulties and different methods of working with them. Some approaches are particularly well supported for particular conditions, so it is worth asking whether the psychologist’s approach is appropriate for what you are seeking help with.

But the name of an approach is only one part of the picture. For many common difficulties, several established therapies can be helpful, and the quality of the therapeutic relationship also matters.1, 2 You should feel able to speak openly, ask questions and understand what you and your psychologist are working towards.

So look for an approach that is appropriate to your difficulty and supported by good evidence. Then consider the person behind the approach: whether you feel understood, whether you can talk openly with them, and whether their way of working feels like a good fit for you.

The practical filters

Once you have considered registration, experience and approach, there are a few practical questions that matter too:

Questions worth asking before you book

A few straightforward questions can tell you a great deal:

How to tell after a session or two

Some things can only be understood once you have actually started. After a couple of sessions, ask yourself: Do you feel listened to and understood? Can you disagree with your psychologist or tell them when something does not feel right? Do they explain their thinking in a way that makes sense to you? Do you feel able to ask questions? And even when a session is difficult, do you have some sense of where the work is going?

It is also worth distinguishing between two kinds of discomfort. Therapy can bring you into contact with painful thoughts, memories, emotions or patterns, and that can feel uncomfortable. Discomfort on its own does not mean that something is wrong.

What matters is how that discomfort is held. Feeling challenged while still feeling respected and understood is very different from feeling judged, dismissed or pressured. If something in the therapeutic relationship does not feel right, it is reasonable to raise it. A good psychologist should be able to hear that and work with you to understand what is happening.

And if, after giving the relationship a fair opportunity, you still do not feel that the fit is right, changing psychologists is perfectly reasonable. It is not a failure or a rejection of the work. Finding the right therapeutic relationship is part of the process.

We are clinical psychologists working online with adults across South Africa. You can read about us on our practice page, and you are welcome to ask us anything through an enquiry before deciding.

This article is general information, not a substitute for individual professional advice, assessment or treatment. If you are in crisis, please see our emergency resources.