When selecting providers of services, treatments or interventions, it’s a good idea to ask about their experience and relevant qualifications.
Some helpful areas to cover include:
- Professional qualifications
- Membership of professional bodies (certification, accreditation, registration)
- Training and/or experience
- Length of time providing this service
When discussing specific interventions:
- Ask specific questions about the treatment goals, components, style, target group, outcomes, effectiveness, negative effects and safeguards, as well as therapist experience, qualifications and professionalism.
- Be hopeful, but conservative, about any new treatment where the effectiveness of the treatment has not been proven.
- Beware of any programme that claims to be effective for everyone.
- Be cautious of programmes that do not allow individualisation.
- Recognise that there are likely to be several suitable treatment options.
- Recognise that treatment choices should be based on the results of individual assessment.
- Avoid treatment approaches that do not provide information on how to assess whether a person is suitable for that treatment.
- Test out whether the treatment was effective by trying it for long enough (e.g. two months). Complete appropriate questionnaires about the targeted behaviours/skills before and after treatment. Tell no one when a treatment has started, and monitor progress by making written notes throughout the course of treatment.
