Interviewing the T is a very good idea, not so much charging them tho
My initial meeting with my T was sort of like a 2 way interview.
He wanted to know what he would be up against, I wanted to know if he was up for the challenge of helping me meet my goals, as opposed to sitting there just listening every week.
I expressed the specific goals I had for therapy, and only agreed to see him once he had assured me he would either be able to help, or refer me to someone who could, if it turned out he was out of his depth...
I think its imperative to know the mode of therapy a T offers before deciding to see them, maybe someone who specializes in CBT would be more beneficial to your needs.
Just a thought.