So after abrupt ending with ill-T last year, I've been working with another T since October. A few times I have felt as though we've clicked and I wanted to work with her long-term, but more often than not, I leave the session feeling either worse/upset/not heard/rushed or a combination of any or all of these. I'm starting to think that the ok-sessions are not quite making up for the crap sessions.

I always look at a T's profile picture if there is one, to see if they seem approachable or not, and she looked quite warm and welcoming. We do have life experiences in common and she does share personal information if it's related to those experiences. But I'm finding a mismatch between what she says and what I'm perceiving to be true (we've never met and work over zoom). I realise it's more difficult to get a real sense of someone when working over the internet and it could just be that my gut-feeling is off; but having been with her for 5 months now, I'd have thought that was enough time to establish whether I really feel comfortable working with her long-term.

How do others test out a new T; are there any specific criteria they need to meet, or do you just 'wing it' and see what feels right?