Here are some points to consider when choosing a counselor. Taking your time to consider who you are going to work with may be worthwhile in the long run. When we are in a crisis we often feel like we do not have the time, however, having made the decision to get help often creates a sense of relief, and talking to several counselors can provide you with some feedback that will be helpful.
The therapeutic relationship is a very unique relationship. You are potentially going to explore areas of yourself and your life that you do not feel good about which can place you in a position of vulnerability. It is important that you feel respected and safe to do this. In addition, not everyone is going to connect with a particular counselor, we all have different styles and personalities that come into it which you may not gel with.

Points to consider:

 Phone contact.  Have a number of questions ready before hand. Typical questions center around qualifications and training, approach to counseling, availability and fees as well as specific questions related to your situation. No question is a bad question. Talking to several people will enable you to get an initial feel for someone and help you screen those you are prepared to meet with. Trust your intuition. You do not have to make an appointment straight away, take a day to digest the information.

 Contact in person.  Once you have decided on at least two people you want to meet, use this meeting to get a further sense of the person and how they work, respond to you, and whether you can learn something from them. It is normal to feel uncomfortable or nervous because, for example, you may not be use to attention focused on you, or feel afraid of how this person may respond to you. The most important thing at this point is to feel that they understand your experience, you can feel confidence in them, and they express a caring and sincere attitude.

Things to look out for:

 Promises.  We all want to know that someone is able to help us, that is natural. However, if someone is expressing more along the lines of guarantees, this may be something to be wary of. Counseling is a combination of your willingness to explore your experience, and the counselor guiding you toward your goals. We can speculate about the outcome based on other people's experience but we cannot guarantee it.

 Defensive or hostile attitude.  This may seem obvious but when you are in a situation with someone who is seen as an 'expert' and you are feeling vulnerable, these kinds of behaviors can be overlooked or taken as something being wrong with you. Again, trust your intuition.

 Focus on the counselor.  It can sometimes be helpful to hear how the counselor has experienced something that relates to your experience. However, if you are often wondering why the counselor is telling you something, then chances are they are using the counseling relationship to meet more of their needs than yours. A related issue is if the counselor is forceful about the direction you need to take then it may be they have their own agenda operating. The bottom line is this is your therapy, and the counselor's interventions should come out of your process even if she/he is challenging you.