my experience I have found that the best therapist is the one that takes the time to find out what individual problems you have or things that you would like to improve about yourself. Traditional psychotherapy is no longer the only program one can take with a therapist. Positive organization of one's life can be just as effective. These factors are important in choosing a therapist, so choose a therapist that offers alternatives and different ways of dealing with your situation. This is really good information, as therapists we may naturally consider the points you mention but people new to therapy or finding help on their own, will find this checklist an invaluable resource. I've linked to this post and have bookmarked it too. This is a very concise list of things to help you find the right therapist for you. As a therapist myself, I invite new and possible new clients to question me about these points. It is important for the therapist and client to build up a good relationship based on trust and understanding, keeping within the ethical boundaries of a therapeutic relationship. I think that finding the right therapist for you is critical to the healing process. When I was in my teens, I went into therapy with a very good male therapist. I felt very comfortable with him, but then he left the clinic to go to a school across the country in order to study for his doctorate. I was then assigned to another