Why is finding a therapist so hard? Meet the mental health matchmaker

Finding someone to connect with can be draining - much like dating - and Dr David Kelley wants to help. Jean Hannah Edelstein investigates

"You should try therapy!" is a suggestion that I realized, after maybe too long, most people don't take as a compliment. I think therapy is great: what thoughtful, smart person wouldn't benefit from taking some time for careful examination of their feelings and how they interact with the world? No thoughtful, smart person, in my opinion. Deciding to go to therapy isn't an admission of fault: it's an admission of the desire to be happier, less anxious and more at ease.

But even if you are the kind of thoughtful, smart person who can overcome the stigma against seeing a professional to talk about your problems, there's another major hurdle to surmount: it can be very difficult to find the right therapist. Much as with dating, for therapy to succeed, you need to find someone with whom you want to spend a lot of time talking about yourself (unlike dating, however, you should definitely not have sex with your therapist). As with dating, looking online (Psychology Today has the most popular database) and going through a trial and error process can be emotionally draining, especially if you're feeling sad or anxious already and lack the energy to interview a lot of different therapists before you hit the right one.