How to Choose a Therapist: A Practical Guide for Getting Started
Starting therapy can feel overwhelming. You may be curious, hopeful, skeptical, or unsure and perhaps all of these at once. If you’ve searched online, you’ve likely encountered hundreds of profiles, each listing specialties, approaches, and credentials. It can be difficult to know what actually matters.
This guide is meant to help you think clearly about how to choose a therapist.
1. Start With Credentials
Before anything else, make sure the therapist is properly licensed in your province or state. In Ontario, for example, that typically means they are a registered psychologist, psychotherapist, or social worker.
Licensure indicates that the therapist has met established standards of education, supervised training, and professional experience. It also means they are accountable to a regulatory body that sets ethical guidelines and oversees professional conduct.
You don’t need to become an expert in the differences between designations. But confirming that someone is licensed in your jurisdiction is a simple and important first step. Each regulatory body maintains a public register where you can verify whether a therapist holds an autonomous practice licence (meaning they practice independently), is working under supervision, or if there are any restrictions or formal findings related to their licence.
In Ontario, this information is available through the websites of the College of Psychologists and Behavioural Analysts of Ontario, the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, and the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers.
2. Consider Experience With Your Specific Concerns
Even when the themes are common (e.g., anxiety, burnout, relationship strain, loss), the way they show up in your life is personal. It makes sense to want someone who can understand the nuance.
It’s reasonable to ask whether a therapist has experience with concerns similar to yours. Most established clinicians have worked with a wide range of difficulties, and many develop deeper familiarity in certain areas over time.
In some cases, specialized expertise truly matters. Certain conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, or complex trauma benefit from clinicians who have specific training and substantial experience in those areas. At the same time, not every difficulty requires a narrowly defined specialist. What matters most is that the therapist can clearly explain how they understand your concern and why they would approach it in a particular way.
During a consultation, you might ask:
Have you worked with concerns like mine before?
What training or experience do you have in this area?
You are looking for clarity, confidence, and thoughtful reasoning. A skilled therapist should be able to help you make sense of your concerns and be transparent about when additional expertise may be helpful.
3. Consider “Fit” (More Than You Think)
Credentials and experience matter. So does training in specific approaches. But for most people, what ultimately determines whether therapy is helpful is fit.
Fit includes:
Feeling comfortable speaking openly
Sensing that the therapist “gets” the nuances of your concerns
Feeling respected in your values, culture, and identity
Having confidence in the therapist’s thinking
Some people feel drawn to a therapist of a particular gender, age, or background. Others prefer someone more structured or more exploratory. These preferences are not superficial. They often reflect what helps you feel safe enough to do meaningful work.
If you’re unsure, pay attention to your instincts. Therapy requires honesty. It’s easier to be honest with someone who feels like the right match.
4. Use the Consultation Thoughtfully
Many therapists offer a brief consultation by telephone or video, free of charge. This is one of the best tools available to you.
A good consultation should feel organized and intentional. You should have space to describe what’s bringing you in and the therapist should ask thoughtful questions. Therapy works best when it considers the whole picture.
By the end of the conversation, you should have:
A clearer understanding of how your concerns are understood by the therapist
A sense of their experience and approach
An opportunity to ask your own questions
An initial sense of direction for therapy and next steps
You do not need to decide on the spot. But you should leave with a sense of clarity rather than confusion, and with a sense that this person can help.
5. Understand What the First Steps Should Look Like
If you decide to move forward, the first step after a brief consult should involve a thorough intake process. This should include a careful exploration of your history, current functioning, relationships, health, work, and the broader context of your difficulties. Some clinics conduct extended intake sessions and provide a written report to clarify understanding and direction.
A thoughtful intake serves two purposes: ensuring that your therapist understands the scope and nuance of what you’re dealing with, and shaping a clear direction for therapy from the outset.
You should come away from the intake feeling that your concerns have been taken seriously, understood in depth, and clarified in terms of next steps.
In the first few sessions, there should be curiosity and compassion, but also careful thinking. You might not feel immediate relief - meaningful therapy is more than supportive conversation. Over time, however, the work should feel purposeful and helpful, with a shared understanding of what you are working toward and how you will approach it.
6. Give Yourself Permission to Adjust
Not every therapist will be the right fit for every person.
If something feels off after a few sessions, it’s reasonable to raise it directly. Often, good therapy includes discussing the therapy itself. If the fit still does not feel right, it is appropriate to seek another option. A thoughtful clinician should support you in finding care that meets your needs, even if that means referring elsewhere.
The goal is not simply to start therapy. The goal is to find a setting where meaningful work can happen.
Final Thoughts
Choosing a therapist does not require absolute certainty, only enough comfort and confidence to begin. If you approach the process with openness and ask thoughtful questions, you are already taking an important first step.
Wherever you seek therapy, aim for care that feels competent, carefully considered, and genuinely aligned with you. Therapy is most effective when it feels both safe and purposeful.
If you’re considering therapy and have questions about fit, feel free to reach out.
This article is part of The Therapy Guide, a collection of resources developed by the clinicians at Starling Psychological Services to support informed decisions about therapy. The information in The Therapy Guide is provided for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized psychological advice or treatment. © 2026 Starling Psychological Services. All rights reserved. This content may not be reproduced without permission.