I have to go through my insurance, and this is what they offered. I was hoping to get my old T (they work in the same association), but she was no longer available.

Most of my T's have been helpful in some form or fashion. I only had one T that I remember who was not, and I knew it by the first session because all he wanted to talk about was my daughter's issues and not listen to my own.

Qualities? Be a good listener, be emotionally present, be caring without being sappy, be trustworthy, and be knowledgeable about the profession. My old T is a professor and my current T a professor emeritus at the local university, so they keep up on current techniques and such.