I wonder what country you're from because the way it works might be different in different countries. I think what most or all of the posters wrote about makes sense for the way it works in the US. In the US, you can usually just go to a therapist without getting a referal from a general practitioner (gp) (regular doctor). That might vary depending on your insurance, but it has been the case with a lot of different insurance companies I've had.

A regular doctor might not be great with talking about depression compared to a therapist, so it could be better to just call some therapists and see who you think you'd like based on your phone conversation. A regular doctor would be more used to giving prescriptions for medication, but they can't force you to do that if you prefer therapy. My guess is most of them would appreciate that you're able to tell them what you want and they'd go along with what you want.

There's nothing wrong with going to a regular doctor first if that's more comfortable for you than contacting therapists. Psychology Today is a good website for finding therapists in the US.

If you live in another country, I don't know how it works, but if you ask on here, there might be other people from your country who could answer. It might be different in some countries if you have to get a referal from a regular doctor before you can get a therapist. Maybe someone from your country would know what questions the regular doctors ask.