Can you say any more about how a therapist might be more suitable for some patients than others? Is it about a methodology (like cognitive behavioral therapy), or about disorder(s) the therapist usually treats (like addiction), or is it something else (possibly something the patient won't discover until after treatment starts)?
If it’s all about methodology then a) we’re robots and b) there would be no need for therapists.
The 1st one asked me the most basic nonsense and then told me she thinks I just drink too much coffee so I didn't go back.
The second one told me they don't believe in medication so I never went back.
The 3rd one diagnosed me with seasonal affective disorder in about 5 minutes, gave me a little prozac and changed my life.
I suspect there is an overwhelming amount of terrible therapist.
I don't think the challenge is finding a good therapist but in not getting stuck with a terrible therapist or letting a terrible therapist ruin the whole idea of therapy.
Imagine if any other doctor operated like that like you had to visit 3-5 endocrinologists to get a diagnosis for your thyroid disorder.
And even if you find the right guy/gal, the best they'll probably be able to do is help you help yourself, as most of the problems in ones life have external causes, and it falls to the individual to resolve them.
It's just baffling that this is considered a legitimate medical discipline in 2025.
Even though self-help is considered a meme, I found way more success with it, as flipping though 5 different books until you find the one that you like and is much easier than visiting 5 therapists. And being honest with yourself is also much easier than being honest with a complete stranger.
Most mental issues have internal or behavioral causes. Therapy addresses your ideas about the real world, not the real world itself. For example, it can enable a choice never seen as possible before, and while the real world stays the same, your position in it may change to something unthinkable before.
In a way, it's like talking about friendships. Some people certainly have better "friendship skills" than others, but because a given person has such skills, it doesn't automatically make them a good friend to everybody.