It is never comfortable to bear your soul to a counsellor for the first time. Regardless of your particular issues, the experience will be traumatic. But when you have a good counsellor, therapist or psychologist, your experience will be much easier.

Your counsellor will know how to bond with you, make you feel understood and provide very astute observations on how you can extricate yourself from your dilemma. Cities across the country have no shortage of mental health counsellors, psychologists or therapists.

But how can you find the right one? This article will explain in no nonsense language the characteristics a good psychologist, mental health or marriage counsellor should manifest.

Then, you will be much better prepared to pick the psychologist or counsellor that will be just right for you! First impressions do matter.

A mental health or marriage counsellor should never be unkempt. First impressions are important when you have your initial consultation with your counsellor; if your would-be counsellor will not even dress appropriately to meet you for the first time, how do you know that he or she even cares about the importance of your issues?

To be a good counsellor or therapist, one almost always needs to present himself as being comfortable, authentic and astute. Find someone who looks like he or she is expert and understanding before he even introduces himself.

If he has a knowledgeable, understanding presence the first time you meet, he is likely to have that same presence over the long term when counselling with you. Also, he should be willing to explain the dynamics of the counselling process as it occurs, step-by-step.

You need to be able to understand how the therapy or counselling process works as it is occurring. Your awareness of how the process works is key.

If you have questions, your counsellor or psychotherapist should be happy to answer them. You should feel from the very beginning that during your consultations you are his or her top priority.

Does your counsellor constantly take calls from other clients during your sessions? If so, you are being short changed because the sessions are supposed to be devoted to you.

There will likely be complex interpersonal, psychological and communication dynamics involved in your situation and you will want a counsellor who can bond with you and explain them. The therapist or counselor you select should see this as an obligation and will see it as his responsibility to educate you and make you more aware of the key dynamics of your situation.

If you have a good first impression of your counsellor and he or she seems willing to share important information with you, all that is left to consider is level of experience. Do not just look for a counselor or psychotherapist who has worked in cases identical to yours; you will spend your search studying too small a category.

Instead, look for a mental health, counseling or relationship professional who has worked on a variety of cases over many years. A counseling professional with a broad range of skills will do an excellent job handling any curveballs that may occur during your sessions.

Finding the ideal counselor can be difficult. Nonetheless, as your sessions progress and your psychotherapist provides valuable insights, you will be thrilled that you spent the extra effort to locate the best counselor possible.