With my really good therapists, I've known within three sessions, but it took me multiple therapists to be able to recognize that feeling.

Like others, I've had a few nice therapists who were kind and good listeners and wanted to listen to me chat about my week, but it didn't help and then I went a year while my illness worsened and I wasn't getting real help.

I've also had some really bad therapists that I kept telling myself, "I'll just give them a little more time. Maybe then they'll really understand me and start to help me."

My good therapists helped from very early on because they really understood me, could see what I needed, and got to work teaching me.

Even knowing that, I still have a hard time leaving a therapist. I feel guilty. But my studies in psychology taught me that there are many, many different theories of therapy, many orientations, many types of therapy. Each therapist has a section of people that they will really be able to help. Other people aren't helped by that particular therapist. Our goal is to find ourselves a therapist that is really well matched to us, and hopefully the therapists we leave will then be able to fill that therapy slot with someone they are a good fit to help.