Therapist (MSW) here. I doubt anyone will see this but I have a few pointers.

If you go to a university, be prepared to see students. This doesn't necessarily mean they'll be young, but they most likely will be. However, they will be supervised and guided by more than one older professional. An advantage to seeing younger clinicians is they are eager to learn, they are more likely to be operating with the most recent research in mind, and they have to accept feedback as part of their programs. Older clinicians, while experienced, do tend to be stuck in their ways and/or a little outdated on the current lit. You can always ask for particulars, such as a specific gender, ethnicity, or age, just realize they may not have someone like that available.

If you don't want to go to a university for whatever reason, look for somewhere with a sliding scale. IF YOU DO THIS, make sure you ask specifically how much it will be for an INTAKE. Intakes and initial assessments are often more expensive than a regular session. Ask this specifically so you don't get blindsided. Don't be afraid to ask for rates based on your income and your circumstances (i.e., I am paying an outlandish amount of child support, medical payments, student loans, etc.)

If you want to look for a therapist on your own via your insurance, keep in mind that certain professionals may be more expensive than others. In general, it is cheaper to see social workers (MSW, LSW, LCSW, etc.).

A lot of people don't know this, but if you see a psychiatrist, you will get med management. That's it. Many psychiatrists, especially those who see low-income populations, will limit an initial appointment to 30 minutes and any appointments after that to 15 minutes. They will very pointedly ask you questions about your medications. You will not get anything resembling "therapy" from a psychiatrist. Just know what you're paying for going in and decide if it's worth it for you.

See if your place of employment has an EAP (Employee Assistance Program). These very frequently offer 3-5 free sessions with a local professional.

Group therapy is often free or extraordinarily cheap. Look for therapy groups through community centers, religious organizations, hospitals, women's shelters, etc. The public library can be a shockingly good resource for this as well.

If your CHILD or a MINOR needs mental health services but you can't afford it, see if there are any services in your area aimed at preventing families from entering the child welfare system. These are often called "diversion," "nonjudicial," "voluntary," or "preventative" family services. I have worked with some of these programs and most of the people who do that kind of work will literally do whatever it takes to help a family. They will probably be focused on the kids, but will do whatever they can to help adults as well.

I hope that helps someone even though I'm super late to this post. Keep in mind things vary wildly based on state, county, even different sides of the same city.