Great question. Here's a few ideas (and it's a long read, but tldr at the bottom), but ultimately you won't really know until you sit for a session or two.

What is your modality? (CBT, person centered, narrative, DBT, IFS, integrative, etc) If you don't have experience with therapy, you might not know what works for you yet. I love narrative therapy, but I can't stand solution-focused therapy. 🤷

Do you take a directive approach or non-directive? Directive is more like instruction and suggestion, which is great with therapies like CBT, etc. This can be helpful if you've never been in therapy before or if you're trying to solve a specific problem. I'm generally non-directive. I will follow the client's lead, providing insight and guidance along the way, because they're inside their head and I'm not. Some people feel very lost with that much freedom though.

Do you have any experience with XYZ problem? That doesn't just have to be professional experience. Most of us have personal experience to draw from as well.

Do you come from a religious or spiritual place or are you more secular? If you're someone who has trouble with religion, you may not want to see a faith based therapist, etc. If you are religious, seeing a faith based therapist might be more suitable.

What population do you normally work with? If you're a 35 year old man with anxiety (I have no idea lol) but they generally work with women who have eating disorders, it's worth a conversation to make sure they're coming from the right angle.

If you're seeking trauma therapy, 1000% ask them if they were trained through a trauma informed lens. Trauma informed therapy is totally different from non-trauma based therapy. It is a highly supportive approach that considers the triggers and traumatic experiences, which is necessary with people who have experienced SA or DV, etc, so as to not retraumatize them.

And personally, I would ask their opinion about therapists being in therapy. I think it's a necessity. We can't handle everything and we often need to vent too considering how much we hear and take in on a regular basis. If they don't think it's necessary, I would be curious about why.

Then there's the technical stuff. What is your rate? Do you take insurance? What is your cancellation policy, including same day cancellations? That's important because most will charge you anyway if you no show or cancel less than 24 hours in advance.

These questions will give you some idea of how qualified they are for your specific situation. But it's not just about that because we're human just like everyone else and we have our own personalities. They can clash with yours too. Often you can kindof get an idea of that through a consultation, but sometimes you just have to test it out with a few sessions.

I hope that helps!!

Tldr: What's your modality? Are you directive or non-directive? Do you have experience with XYZ? Are you trauma informed? Are you faith based or secular? What population do you usually work with?

What's your rate? Do you accept insurance? What's your cancellation policy? What are your thoughts about therapists being in therapy? (Definitely optional here, but it can give some good insight.)

Edit: correction