A good therapist:

At the very least, your psychologist should be educated in an American Psychological Association accredited graduate school program, experienced in conducting psychotherapy, and have had personal psychotherapy.

He or she should also be a wholesome, sensitive person who respects others. Most important, the therapist should be someone with whom you feel comfortable sharing your deepest, darkest thoughts.

Your therapist must also have the personal characteristics that enable him or her to work closely with you in an atmosphere of mutual respect, the ability to understand you and your problems, and the sensitivity to communicate this understanding in a manner that is acceptable and meaningful to you.

You're the best judge of whether a therapist is suitable for you. If your therapist is eager to know you as you are, not as theory would have you, is genuinely concerned about your welfare and is willing to give you the freedom to be what you want to be, you 're on the right track. While the therapist should be nonjudgmental of you as a person, he or she should be ready to challenge you when you're not being true to yourself.