All BPC registrants use a psychoanalytic model of the mind. This means that symptoms and everyday life difficulties are looked at in depth as to what in the sufferer is causing the problem. There are different settings, applications and degrees of intensity which have different categories in the register. However practitioners may also have expertise in applications other than the one(s) of their original training(s); all BPC therapists are governed by a code of ethics which requires that they practise within their own levels of competence.
The best way to find whether a therapist might be able to help is to meet with them and see if you feel you would be able to work together.
There are a number of ways of finding a therapist.
1. Talk to your doctor.
In some areas psychoanalytic psychotherapy is available from the NHS but there is often a long wait for this and where it is available, this may only be for a short period. In addition to making a referral to a therapist within the NHS, your doctor may also be able to provide you with details of locally-based private therapists.
The NHS Choices website offers a comprehensive guide to mental health issues, with information that may help you talk to your doctor.
2. Talk to our clinics.
It can be helpful to take advice when seeking referral for psychoanalytic psychotherapy. All BPC registered psychotherapists are experienced in assessment and diagnostic consultations and a preliminary consultation can help you decide if psychoanalytic psychotherapy would be suitable for you.
Several member organisations of the BPC have referral services, which can assist in finding a therapist, and some also have clinical services offering therapy or analysis at reduced fees.
3. Check the BPC register and contact a therapist direct.
The register contains the names of psychoanalytic psychotherapists in clinical practice in the UK who make up the membership of the Psychoanalytic Council, all of whom have met the BPC requirements for Continuing Professional Development. It also includes details of BPC Member Institutions and Training Institutions and their members. Practitioners can be searched by any of the criteria listed below. Access for the disabled is shown where available. The register also indicates when practitioners appear on the medical or chartered psychologist registers.