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Finding the right therapist is a bit like dating. You might get lucky with the first one, but you may not.

Making a choice among several therapists is more likely to lead to a good match because you see options.

Comparing your responses to several therapists taps into your agency and helps you identify your values.

At some point in my sophomore year of college, I found myself crying. A lot. For no reason. I worried I might be having a nervous breakdown, which would mean the unthinkable—that I’d flunk out of the university I’d worked so hard to get into. Having no idea what to do, and no one I dared ask, I did something like Googling local psychiatrists and going to the first one listed.

With his fancy office and framed certificates, he was clearly legitimate. But he was also a balding middle-aged man who smoked nauseating cigars and no matter what crazy fears were pouring out of me, he kept telling me I was in love with him. No. I wasn’t. Still, it took me six months to quit. A year later, in desperation, I tried again with my housemate’s therapist and got lucky. He was a kind and jolly man who kept me together until I graduated.

By the time I decided to get to the bottom of my problems, I was in my late 20s and knew enough not to rely on dumb luck. Instead, I turned to a concept my mother drummed into me: in all things, comparative shop. She wouldn’t buy gloves before checking out three sales. I got it. Instead of giving into overwhelm, passivity, and confusion, look at several options to gauge the........

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