Searching for a suitable therapist is similar to searching for an appropriate physician, dentist, attorney or any other professional who meets your needs.  It is not always easy to discover the right person and there are no blanket rules for doing so.  However, if you keep the following points in mind this should make the process easier and more satisfactory for you.

 Initial Contact with Therapist

      You will usually want to speak with the therapist or coach (at least briefly) before making an appointment to start working with them.  During this first contact you can find out certain facts about their background, training, fees, and details of their practice which are important for you to know.  If the therapist has a website, many of these details are usually given there, but you will still want to talk with them or at least make contact by email because you will need to know more about them than facts alone can supply. 

     Your initial contact with a prospective therapist will give you an idea of whether they are a perceptive, caring person with whom you could feel comfortable talking and sharing your personal problems.  Professional degrees alone, while essential if you have serious emotional problems, do not tell you whether or not this person will be an effective therapist for you.  Only you can determine this, and on a “gut level”.  If you respond positively to this therapist during the initial contact and feel that they are a person whom you can probably trust, then you can feel confident in scheduling a session. 

     An initial “trial” (paid for) session with the therapist you have selected is an excellent way to determine whether they are indeed right for you, and you are entirely within your rights to let the therapist know that you want to schedule such a trial session.  You will notice that a number of the therapists on Gary Craig’s list of EFT-trained practitioners offer a free 20 minute exploratory discussion by telephone to help you decide this.  That can be very useful if available, however a number of therapists do not do this, and this fact does not necessarily make them less competent or useful, they may simply be too heavily booked to be able to offer that free time.  The best plan to follow in the latter case is to schedule a trial paid session with them and see how that works out.  It is unlikely that even if you decide not to work with that therapist in the future, that this session will be wasted.  You may well accomplish something of real value to you during the time that is spent with that person, particularly since the therapist is working with such a rapid technique as EFT.

 What to Look for in Terms of Training

     Most qualified practitioners in the field of mental health (but not necessarily in allied health fields) hold graduate degrees such as a Ph.D.  (usually these are psychologists), LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) or M.D (medical doctor, usually one specializing in Psychiatry).  These and similar degrees indicate that these people have undergone an internship and supervised training in their field of specialty.

     Most professionals will also be licensed by a recognized professional licensing board and belong to one or more professional associations.  Don’t hesitate to inquire about licensing (it will be necessary if you seek insurance reimbursement) and other aspects of their background when you speak with them.  You should bear in mind, however, that while professional licensing ensures that the therapist has completed the requisite training and internships in their field of specialty, it does not give you any information about their competency.  Their possession of what is often referred to as a “therapeutic touch” is not indicated by any degree or licensure and may be present in people who do not have such credentials at all. 

     You will notice, for example, that there are EFT practitioners on the list who do not qualify for professional licensing, yet some of them are brilliant natural clinicians and “healers” who may be extremely helpful to you providing you do not have a recognized emotional disturbance which requires treatment by a licensed mental health practitioner.

     In this vein, it is significant to note that the founder of EFT, Gary Craig, does not have a professional license in the field of mental health, (he is a personal performance coach, minister, and engineer) but he has a rare ability to assist people when using EFT, and is a prime example of therapeutic gifts that far exceed any formal training.
(NOTE: Gary Craig is not presently available for individual therapy due to his many commitments).

     Information on what to expect from the EFT Practitioners’ List can be found in the “Find an EFT Practitioner” page of this website.