you didnt sound like a whiner to me . i think things work differently in australia - to be a clinical psychologist you need a Masters. and then PhDs are kind of an optional extra - probably get to charge more because you're a "doctor".

i am very particular that the person i see in a clinical psychologist. not a counselling psychologist, not a social worker, not a counsellor. but it's got a lot to do with how things are regulated in australia - you're really only guaranteed a certain amount of training if you see a clinical psych.

re: the guy thing. i'm like that too. i've been to women therapists in the past, but i've found it really difficult to connect (because of my own issues). it's got to the point that i dont want to see a female therapist, and that's ok. however, i also understand that there's a good opportunity to correct my perceptions if i did engage with a female therapist. but that would be a lot of hard work, and i dont have that type of money .

i see a female GP now. she's pretty cool. and given that i'm female too it's also nice sometimes to just have someone who has had the same experiences.

if you can kind of see yourself working with this female T, then maybe it's worth a try? you could always bring up your hesitancy in the first session - so she would understand if you chose to stop later on. and also it could be a good thing to talk about.

on the other hand, i have this gut reaction "NO!" type feeling whenever my pdoc has suggested a female therapist in the past. i've never told him that, just make up other reasons, but i reckon if you're kind of on that end of the spectrum then there's no real point forcing yourself, yknow?