Counselling and psychotherapy is a huge and growing profession and one which in the UK so far has no regulatory legal framework. In theory anyone can call themselves a counsellor or psychotherapist, though moves are afoot to institute an EU-wide regulatory framework to cover qualifications, training and standards. In the USA psychotherapy is a regulated profession and all people advertising as counsellors or therapists should be qualified psychologists.

In the UK there are two professional bodies, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) which run voluntary training and accreditation schemes and regulate training standards and institutes. Both have directories of registered therapists on their websites and any therapist on their register will have undergone a rigorous professional training.

This does not necessarily mean they will automatically be the right therapist for you, however. Studies have shown that even in general medical practice, patients who have a good relationship with their doctor do better, and because psychotherapy is such an interpersonal activity, it is crucial to find a therapist who you trust and who understands your lifestyle, background and concerns. Indeed, the building of trust is often an essential part of what makes the therapy work.

It is therefore important when seeking a therapist to:

• If possible, seek therapists personally recommended by people you trust.
• If not, investigate one of the registers of therapists run by organisations that specialise in people with HIV or groups vulnerable to HIV such as Africans or gay men.
• ‘Shop around’; this means that it is perfectly in order to arrange to see a number of therapists for an initial consultation before making a decision about who you want to work with.