Here's an article about a service supposedly matching clients to potential therapists. Why is finding a therapist so hard? Meet the mental health matchmaker | Life and style | The Guardian
I don't know how I feel about that. I don't think anybody would have matched me to my T, and I probably wouldn't have matched myself to my T either but sometimes I think we work so well together because we are so different.
What do other people think? Would you use a service like this? Any thoughts welcome.

I wouldn't because how can they know what the best suit is? I didn't realise that my T reminded me of my brother til about 6 months in and I am just realising the issues i had with my brother. I saw numerous T all female who were "motherly" as my GP put it, she referred me to them. I didn't seek my gp input when I found my T.
I wonder if the 75-80% success rate is because people have paid good money and they feel they have to stick to the therapist because someone more "knowlgable" than them said they were a fit.

I agree, especially about the questionable statistic. It would be interesting to see how that percentage compares to people who pick one for themselves. I think a good dynamic in therapy is difficult if not impossible to predict. Like you it took me quite some time to realise the ways in which my T could be useful so I'm not sure a questionnaire could have predicted it.
I wonder if it might seem like an attractive option to those who can't afford to shop around paying out of pocket for initial consultations.

[Pennster]

I went through many therapists before my current one, and I definitely would have appreciated help in determining the right fit before I found my current one. I really didn't know much about therapy and what kind of styles might fit for me. I found my current one because a friend of mine was familiar with his work through his writing and interviews, and my friend decided we would be a good fit. My friend was right.

So I can see how a knowledgable third party might be able to help. I'd be up for trying it if I were t have to therapist-shop in the future.

Thanks that's interesting. I had thought, having read threads on here, that finding a T can be a stressful process to go through and this might seem a good option, especially if you're fairly clear about what qualities you want in a therapist (where I was pretty clueless about that)

I was one of those peoples that saw a matchmaker when I was originally looking for a family therapist. She said she would see us 2-4 times, and make a decision to see us for max 6x's and possibly solve the issue/s or refer us on. She decided at the 3rd meeting to refer us on because the situation was more complex, and gave me four names, telling me a little about each one's style, and did suggest one over the other. I took her advice, called the first one, and we ended up with a wonderful therapist that really understood Family Systems. She eventually became my individual therapist.

Hearing all the sad stories here, I believe I dodged a bullet. For me, I would not do the process on my own ever again without some kind of recommendation. I'm not a lucky person. That's just me. And, I don't have time or funds to start from scratch.

[Out There]

That was interesting. I think I might consider it if I wasn't happy with my T and was looking for another. My T was chosen for me initially so I have to thank the person who thought we would be a good fit !

[LonesomeTonight]

Hm, I think it's an interesting concept that would probably work well for some people. But for me, not sure. My T and marriage counselors have very different styles. And I feel like each has been very "right" for me at different times, sometimes shifting from month to month. Sometimes I need to be pushed more, to question my assumptions, stuff like that, so for those times, my T. Other times, I need the reassurance and sort of warm fuzziness that MC offers.

This is veering from the topic, but I sometimes feel like some sort of program where you have the option to see two different T's (within the same practice) could make sense. Not sure of the logistics of it, and I'm sure it wouldn't be right for many people, but it's something to consider. Especially because, thinking of your experience as an example, Echos, you might not know a T isn't the right fit until you see another one. Or a particular T might be the right fit for a person at one point, but then if they're going through, say, a depressive episode or other rough time in life, they might benefit by seeing someone else.