How to find therapy in Cantonese in the UK

If you have recently moved to the UK, perhaps from Hong Kong, the way therapy is arranged here may be new to you. Finding someone who works in Cantonese may take some searching and a few direct questions.

How do you find a therapist who speaks Cantonese?

Start with a therapist directory that lets you filter by language. The UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) directory has a languages filter, where Cantonese is listed as “Yue (Cantonese)”. “Chinese” and “Mandarin” appear as separate options, so a profile marked “Chinese” will not necessarily mean Cantonese. Check before you book.

Try the online and telephone filters too. A Cantonese-speaking therapist may not live near you, and BACP, a professional body for therapists, says sessions can happen online or by telephone as well as face to face.

When you contact someone, ask whether they can run a whole session in Cantonese or would mix it with English. Speaking a language at home and working in it can be quite different, so this is a fair thing to ask.

A mix may suit you. Some people find certain subjects easier to talk about in one language than the other, and you can tell your therapist if that is true for you.

Can you get therapy in Cantonese through the NHS?

You can ask, but the answer will depend on your local service. The NHS says the type of therapy you can get depends on what you need it for and what is available in your area, so ask your service about Cantonese directly.

NHS talking therapies involve talking to a trained professional about your thoughts, feelings and behaviours. You can refer yourself, without seeing a GP (a family doctor), for problems including low mood, worry, depression, anxiety, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To do this you need to be registered with a GP and be aged 18 or over, or 16 or over in some areas.

You will usually need a GP to refer you for eating disorders, bipolar disorder, personality disorders, psychosis or drug and alcohol problems. A GP can also advise you if you are unsure about referring yourself.

When you contact the service, ask:

• whether a therapist there works in Cantonese
• whether an interpreter can join the sessions if not
• what language the workbook or online course is in, because you may be offered guided self-help first, which means working through one of these with a therapist’s help
• what language any group sessions are held in

Talking therapies are sometimes free through an employer, a university or a local charity, so you could put the same questions to them.

How does working with an interpreter affect therapy?

An interpreter adds a third person to a private conversation, so find out how it would work before you agree. Ask the service or therapist whether they can arrange one and who pays. Ask for Cantonese by name, since “Chinese” could be taken to mean Mandarin.

You may prefer not to have a relative or friend interpret. Therapy can cover your relationships and your childhood, and those are hard subjects to discuss through someone who knows your family.

If you belong to a small local community, you could ask for the interpreter’s name beforehand, in case it is someone you know. It is also reasonable to ask what confidentiality rules the interpreter follows.

During sessions, tell the therapist if you think something has come across wrongly. A short correction early on can save confusion later.

How does private therapy work in the UK?

You contact a therapist directly and pay for the sessions yourself. Before you book, ask about the fee and what happens if you cancel.

BACP says most therapy takes place in planned, regular sessions of around 50 minutes. How often you meet and how many appointments you have will be agreed between the two of you.

In the first session, your therapist should explain how they work and agree the terms with you, either verbally or in a printed document. You can ask about their qualifications and experience at this point.

A counsellor will not give you their opinions or advice, or prescribe medication. They help you find your own solutions. If you were hoping to be told what to do, this may feel strange at first, and you can say so.

You do not have to continue with a therapist if you cannot relate to them or do not feel safe. You can look for another one.

How do you check a therapist’s registration?

Ask the therapist which professional organisation they are registered with, then confirm it with that organisation. The NHS advises making sure a private therapist is registered with a professional organisation accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). That gives you two things to check: whether the therapist is registered with the organisation, and whether the PSA has accredited that organisation.

Ask for the exact name the therapist is registered under. It may differ from the one on their website, for example if they use an English name in one place and a Chinese name in another.

For UKCP, you can email registration@ukcp.org.uk to find out whether a therapist is registered.

If something later feels wrong in your therapy and you do not feel able to raise it with your therapist, BACP’s Get help with counselling concerns service gives guidance on what to do.