Thanks for your question. Sorry it took me awhile to get back to you. Generally people may have a preference in gender in mind – do I feel more comfortable with a male or female? After that they may have a specific issue to work on. This could narrow it down for you. When calling or emailing a therapist it would be good to ask how long they have been in practice, and what issues they specialize working with. You might also see how comfortable you feel talking to them (if you are calling.) I usually suggest that you ask for a free consultation (in – person if possible). The relationship is the most important part of therapy, and your in-person reactions can give you alot of helpful info on whether to move forward with a particular therapist. If you can set up a in-person consultation see how you feel with the therapist. It is normal to feel somewhat anxious or uncomfortable during the initial session, but you should feel the therapist is someone you can connect to and may be able to trust over time. This is often a gut reaction – we have chemistry with certain people and not with others. You may also appreciate the manner of the therapist or not, and the way they listen to you. If you can interview a few therapists that would be best, so you have some point of comparison on who you feel most comfortable with.

Hope that was helpful.

Best,
David