Good luck!
This is great advice, you may not "click" or trust your therapist. If you don't feel comfortable or the therapist wants to talk about your childhood all time .. . move on.
The very fact that you have to present your life in an understandable structure already helps. Actually, that's a funny story. I was so frustrated that my sessions were useless because I could not describe my problems, that I started rehearsing my sessions. What should I say; what is important; what is not important and should be skipped; what is the best order to tell things. After a few months it was not necessary. So the first useful skill I have got is communicating in a clear manner. Especially communicating about feelings. People usually have no idea how to describe what they feel and jet get angry or something.
I found it incredibly helpful, what I thought were my issues turned out to be symptoms of a more foundational issue and understanding that gave great insight into why I do things the way I do.
Run a mile from anyone practicing Freudian nonsense.
But now I just say "Yeah, I don't feel like it's connected" and we move on.
CBT and similar techniques are the way to go for most people.
That’s just BAD therapist, whom you can leave right away without a privilege of explanation. It’s hard to find a good one, but when you find em, your mind will “shit bricks”.
My (experience-based) way to detect a good one:
They can prescribe. That means they are a real doctor and not a “great courses plus grad”. If they work with drug addicts, good.
They only ask, never theorize, nor criticize, nor give a “dad lecture”. They ask, listen, note key points, rephrase and ask if they got it right. Then they ask you a question about the above, which is both perplexing and obvious at the same time. This is the moment when you realize there is a effing wrong pattern in your mind that you weren’t even aware of. Then, often the resolve is just a matter of understanding the issue and being aware of it for a week/month or so. If that doesn’t help, e.g. you now see the issue daily, but can’t help but feel emotion pressure, they give you an algorithmic method or a medication.
They always go from your issue you came in with down to basic mind patterns and emotions, small step by small step, with your affirmation, and do not jump into conjectures straight away, which you can’t even evaluate logically and emotionally.
They clearly explain their methods, if you ask them, or by themselves. It’s not a black magic neither a brain surgery, therapy is a thing you may do yourself, but sometimes you need a mind different than yours to mirror your findings.
There are 10+ charlatans per one therapist.
I would appreciate if someone with a similar experience added/fixed my list, or taught me of why sometimes they behave differently and that still ought to work.
(I had to switch recently because my best doc took a long break for an educational mission. And I can’t blame him, it is a pure necessity.)
Unfortunately for those that often need it most, coverage is often not good, wages are very low, and it might well approach 10% of your income.
I don't go to forums talking about how all dentists are terrible because they refuse to listen when you tell them a tooth is not fully frozen.