I&#x27;m curious what others thoughts are on the choices one is confronted with when mental illness or significant distress surfaces. Psychotherapy, medication or informal help? If psychotherapy, which therapist? What algorithm for making this decision do you use?<p>In my own experiences the rough sketch of ideal characteristics mentioned match up with whom I have found helpful. Practically, I&#x27;ve found the issue a nuanced one; I&#x27;ve had times where I was focused so much on finding a great therapist that I overlooked ones who were &quot;good enough&quot;, and others where I settled for someone who was not helpful at all. The balance is elusive, and that no objective criteria is helpful in evaluating a therapist made a difficult choice more difficult still.<p>What I&#x27;ve learned is that word of mouth recommendations may be most helpful, as the pattern of effective therapists is surprisingly consistent across clients (although by no means perfect). Of course this method may be hampered by the general public silence on the subject and the stigma that still exists in some quarters - which is very much alive and kicking in my circles.