Hey Christina, you are posting in the right place, nice to see you here :-)

It can feel really very daunting to take the plunge and make the phonecall. I don't know anybody who isn't nervous in taking that step. Even people who have been in therapy before are typically nervous about talking to somebody new, and they tend to have a bit more of an idea what to expect with the process.

There can be a lot of variation in the way that different therapists do things. One factor is different theoretical orientations and background training while another factor is individual differences.

One way to find somebody is to get a referral from someone you trust such as a friend or GP. If you want to claim visits on health insurance your insurance company might have a list of providers who they are willing to cover. I've also heard of people looking through the phone book.

In your first session the therapist will typically try and get some idea of why you want therapy and what you are hoping to get from it. It can be a good idea to have a think about those issues so that you can talk about them a bit. Sometimes they will ask you about yourself in terms of how many siblings you have, how far you went with education, the sort of work you have done / are doing, whether you are married, how many kids you have etc so they can have some idea of your life in general terms. They should also give you the opportunity to ask questions about them. One question that is good to ask is about their qualifications (there are, unfortunately, some cranks out there).

That first session is for both of you to suss each other out and think about whether you think you can work together. Sometimes the fit just doesn't seem right. Or the sorts of issues you are wanting help with aren't really what the therapist likes to work with. Or you just don't like them. Maybe they remind you of someone you don't like or whatever. It isn't uncommon for people to interview 5 or 6 or 7 different therapists before they find someone they think they would like to work with. But similarly it isn't that uncommon for people to get on okay with and start working with the first person they see. If you can... I'd suggest you interview a few and work with the one who seems to fit the best.

Then you typically negotiate such things as billing and frequency of visits. It can be a good idea to ask about their billing policy with respect to cancellations. That way if you decide that you have found someone who is a better fit you can cancel the session (with due notice) without being charged. They should be okay with you being upfront about your interviewing different people to see who you think you can work best with should you decide to do that.

First visits can be a bit nerve wracking. Most therapists will try and make things easier for you... But they always are a bit nerve wracking, yeah.