That varies from person to person. I usually see someone alone for a month (4 sessions) before I decide if that therapist and I are able to work together.

But I can say that in some situations like JEH, SKR and LL I didn't have a choice.

JEH was my towns crisis center counselor and so when I went to that crisis center she was who I saw no and ifs or buts.

I was assigned to SKR when a DHS caseworker wanted me to be in therapy. I had no choice in the matter. My only choice was male or female counselor and SKR was who I was assigned to.

when SKR and I decided to drop the therapy relationship I was assigned LL because she is the one with in the agency that works with DID. SKR and I had actually chosen someone else within the agency but the supervisor reassigning my file desided I was to have LL because of my having DID. So it was a done deal.

If I had a choice back when LL and I started seeing each other I would have dropped her quicker then anything those first few months.

Even though I didn't have a choice in choosing them they turned out to be the best matches for me.

JEH and SKR and I hit it off right away.

My therapy relationship with LL has been rocky at times but LL and I both worked at getting to know each other and how to work with each other instead of against each other and When we found out that my DHS case coding had closed the court order that I remain in therapy I took time to look at how much I had hated LL when I began with her just because she was not SKR and how her ways of working were different then how SKR and I had done things and whether or not I had continued to improve while seeing LL and I decided now that I have a choice I wanted to continue with LL. When I told LL my decision she too said that she wanted to remain on the case as my therapist. LL and I have been through alot together.

On my end of things I went from the opinion that she was "a stiff with potential" to absolutely hating her to the point where SKR advised LL to have me sign a paper saying I would not hurt her during therapy sessions (SKR knew I had a very angry memory piece that threw tables) to respecting and liking and caring about LL and her advice and opinions. This process took about a year and a half.

OnLL's side I remember about our 5th session overhearing here say to herself - "I think we will be able to work together" after I had left the room and had turned around to ask her something. Though I would not be surprised if she rethought this after getting swore at and called clueless and whatever else came her way went I was dissociated when ever I was near her the first 6 months of our time together.

Now we both make a terrific therapy team and the reason we do is that we both threw out what we wanted each other to be and kept an open mind about each other and just worked from taking time to get to know each other and what works for each other.

I personally believe with my experience of having 19 different therapy professionals in my 20 plus years of therapy that you don't have to like the therapy professional. yea it helps, but not necessary. what is nessessary for a great therapy experience is that both therapist and client have respect for each other and listen to each other and both be open minded to trying each others suggestions. if the client isnt willing to put in the work outside of therapy as well as in the therapy room then they are not going to get anywhere and if the therapist shuts down everything the client would like to try the client is not going to get anywhere. But if both remain open minded theres no limit to where the client can go progress wise regardless of if they like each other or not.

The bottom line is that therapy is what is put into it.