What does 5 star reviews mean when searching for a counsellor online?

Are they useful?

Misleading even?

I received this anonymous feedback a few months ago.

She is the most wonderful therapist’, ‘she really understood how my brain worked without me having to explain it to her’,  and ‘I have seen A LOT of therapists over the years and she is by far the best’.

I was reticent to share this as it can set an expectation for new clients that I am going to “fix” them or “solve” all their problems. I always explain to potential new clients that this is very much all about relationships and how we “click” together. It isn’t a counsellors job to give advice or fix you- not a cop out- but why give over your personal power to someone who hardly knows you to tell you what you should/should not do??

Just because someone comes with great reviews doesn’t mean that your experience with them will match what you’re read online.

It’s not like putting your car in to get fixed at the garage- the mechanic can trouble shoot and follow a method to fix the problem- with generally the outcome being your car is fixed!

Counselling is a more fluid approach and what works for one won’t necessarily work for another and how it progresses very much depends on the relationship between counsellor and client.

If it isn’t going as you hoped/expected- speak to your counsellor- if they aren’t opening that dialogue with you then ask them- it’s a lot of money to come to counselling and you want to feel like it’s been a worthwhile use of your time and money. The counsellor shouldn’t have a set outcome- counselling sessions should be around what you want to get out of them- and if they’re not - challenge your counsellor.

A good counsellor will be open to this and will encourage you to open this dialogue.