Therapy and Coaching for Lasting Change
Sometimes we need a little help...
Choosing a Therapist
If you were looking for an accountant or a solicitor or a dentist, you would probably feel quite comfortable with asking a friend or family member for a recommendation but what do you go on if you don't want to ask around because you don't want to let on that you are looking for a therapist?
Probably one of the best ways to feel confident about your choice of therapist is to check if (s)he is a member of a relevant professional association. This provides reassurance for you that the therapist has voluntarily put forward their qualifications and professional experience to be audited and approved as being relevant and of a high enough standard to be listed on the member register of the association. This process also demonstrates to the public that the therapist agrees to comply with all membership requirements and to abide by a specific professional code of conduct and ethics set by the association. Most professional associations publish a list of their members on their websites so that you can check if a particular therapist is on their member register.
It can also be useful to find out more about a therapist's background. Most practitioners didn't start out as therapists and their qualifications and experience in other fields may help you to get a better feel for whether their approach is likely to suit you. There is a wide range of therapists to choose from with diverse professional interests and what they have to offer you will be a unique blend of the personal interpretation they bring to their formal learning combined with self-education, experimentation and experience.
A good way to gain an impression of the "blend" a particular therapist has to offer is to read any material they may have produced things like brochures, newsletters or website material. As you are reading what they have to say, you will get an insight into whether it makes sense and feels right for you. If there isn't much in the way of published information to go on (and even if there is), why not give them a call and hear if what they say "speaks" to you?
About Belinda Hulstrom
Like many practitioners, Belinda didn't start out as a therapist. After graduating with honours from Oxford University (where she also completed post graduate study in education), she spent the best part of 15 years in various teaching, curriculum development and counselling and mentoring roles in adult and secondary education and also spent a couple of years in the corporate world along the way. The move she made out of education in 1998 and into the therapy profession surprised many people but for Belinda it wasn't astonishing at all: having spent many years focusing on how students, families and colleagues perceive, process and relate to their environment, to make the move into counselling and hypnotherapy as a career felt like a natural progression.
The past few years have seen Belinda back in the corporate world working as an EAP counsellor and also a trainer in the workplace well-being space.
Belinda is keen to continually update her skills and to network with other therapists, both in Australia and overseas, and she is a Fellow and Professional Clinical Member of The Australian Association of Clinical Hypnotherapy & Psychotherapy and a Member of The Australian Counselling Association. To join these professional organisations requires strict adherence to a professional code of ethics and practice and ongoing commitment to professional supervision and annual professional development via seminars and training courses.
Belinda is also an experienced conference presenter and workshop facilitator and acts as a Supervisor for many of her colleagues in the counselling and hypnotherapy professions.
Credentials
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS & ASSOCIATIONS
Australian Association of Clinical Hypnotherapy & Psychotherapy (Fellow, Professional Clinical Member & Current President)
Australian Counselling Association (Registered Member & Clinical Supervisor)
Australian Counselling Association College of Counselling Supervisors (Member)
Association for Contextual Behavioural Science (Professional Member)
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
Diploma in Clinical Hypnosis & Psychotherapy
Diploma in Personal Development
Diploma in Nutrition
Certificate IV Counselling & Conflict Resolution
Certificate IV Training & Assessment
Certificate in Applied Psychotherapy (Human Givens)
Certified HeartMath® Practitioner
ADDITIONAL EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL TRAINING IN
Anxiety Disorders
Stress Management
Life Coaching
Parent Effectiveness Training
SleepTalk for Children
Parts Therapy/ Ego State Therapy
Inner Child Therapy
The Sedona Method
Diabetes Motivational Coaching
"The Work" by Byron Katie
Clinical Supervision
Positive Psychology
Understanding Research Methods
Chronobiology
The Clinical Psychology of Children and Young People
The Addicted Brain
Neuroeconomics
Social Psychology
Conflict Transformation
Brainspotting
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)
Gottman Therapy
Dialectic Behaviour Therapy
Clinical Applications of the Polyvagal Theory
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)