You can find therapy for free, there are a number of organisations that provide therapeutic counselling services for free. However, there may be pitfalls in seeking a service that isn’t paid for.
Therapy can appear to be quite costly, although therapy can be accessed for free by government funded organisations there can be huge waiting times for these services. Sometimes the service is very limited and the practitioners have very limited scope in which to work with you.
There are some hotlines that you can call in an emergency, but you shouldn’t consider this as a source of therapy. Crisis lines, such as the Samaritans are just there to listen to people and have a co-presence, they can’t engage with clients using therapeutic strategies and they won’t always follow-on work with an individual. Their work is invaluable to those who are in crisis but it is not a structured intervention based on your personal requirements.
Some private therapy companies charge you for an initial consultation, which can be quite an ask if you’re not sure of what kind of quality of therapy is being provided or if the therapist is a good fit for you.
My approach has always been to provide a free initial consultation that is conducted via a zoom-meeting. As all the work I provide is online, this is the most convenient and safe way work can be carried out. By working online and meeting for an initial consultation I can assess the client’s needs and if I can help them.
Not all therapists can work with all people, not all therapists are trained in every aspect of mental health, and it’s important that a therapist be upfront about the scope and limitations of their work.
Over the past few years, as a therapist, I’ve moved further away from addiction therapy and become more focused on grief, trauma and mental health. I was in the field of addiction for more than 14 years and I reached the peak of my career managing the program of international rehabs. Since then, I’ve advanced my field of study to work across a much broader range of work.
More and more people are finding that online counselling is more beneficial to their life-style and fits in around travel. There is greater scope for a therapist to be more flexible with times available also due to not needing to travel across busy metropolitan areas.
If you’d like a free initial consultation, please feel free to check out my contact details here:
Dylan Kerr Addiction Therapy 