was talking to my bf about therapy things, and he asked about this, and i realized i don't quite know how to answer/feel like i'm missing stuff. here's what i came up with: if you feel like you're able to communicate with them, if they seem to be listening well, if the things they tend to suggest are working for you, and if not if they course correct decently, if their priorities and yours match up, if you feel comfortable with them (i also mentioned that as a first order approximation when looking through listings to first pick someone, checking that their focus/specialty is in areas relevant to you) i'm sure i'm missing stuff. plus more detail on how to evaluate would probably be helpful also? so what would you guys suggest? thanks! (i'd appreciate the info for myself, too, since i've tried two therapists and neither seemed like that good a match for me, but i guess i'm not quite sure what i'm looking for, exactly, now that i think about it)
an addition: a good early step may be to describe your problem (or give your diagnosis or self-dx) and ask if they've heard of it or worked with people who have something similar. if they react with "yes, I am familiar with that condition" or "if I'm understanding you correctly, that would be new to me," they're probably decent. if they immediately start lecturing you about it or claim that it's impossible for you to have it, move along.
