People who have had a positive experience of therapy in the past will probably have a minimal need for information or encouragement.
People with no experience of therapy or who are ambivalent or anxious about it will need information and encouragement. This encouragement is a process which occurs over time-someone who has had encouragement over time may be more amenable to counselling when they are in crisis.
Remember that people with a history of trauma or disturbed relationships will find it difficult to trust and engagement in therapy can sometimes be a slow and gradual process as they come to experience the relationship as safe.
As your patient’s trusted GP, your own experience of and attitude towards, psychotherapy as a treatment modality, will influence your patient’s confidence.
It also helps greatly if you have confidence in the psychotherapist you are referring to. This confidence will reassure your patient and support them in the process of developing trust in the therapist and dealing with the natural anxiety of engaging in the therapeutic process.