According to one source “It would be medical malpractice to give a severely depressed patient antidepressant drug therapy without some form of frequent, supportive counseling.”

Psychotherapy will address and help you overcome any underlying emotional and psychological problems that are contributing to your depression. There are two types of therapists: psychologists and clinical social workers. This is one article that explains how to choose a therapist. I like that he wrote “My rule of thumb in this has always been to go with what you can afford. You are not going to be helping anybody if you put yourself into deep financial debt while trying to get out of deep emotional pain.”

Having read that article it seemed obvious to me that the first step in choosing a therapist is educating yourself on your state’s licensing requirements for mental health providers. Find out what different types of licenses there are and what the qualifications are for each. Seek recommendations from your doctor and any friends or relatives who have had therapy.

I suggest a brief preliminary discussion over the phone to discover: how long they have been in practice, how much experience they have treating depression, what is their success rate, to what professional associations do they belong, have they had any complaints filed with the state licensing board or professional association and what is their approach to treatment. Then reflect on the conversation. Did the therapist seem friendly and open or brusque and business like? Did you get a good, bad or neutral feeling from the conversation? Talk with a number of therapists if you can and then select one.

As with all professions there are some great therapists out there—also some outright quacks and everything in between the two extremes. It’s a good idea to check and see if they’ve had any complaints filed with the state licensing agency and/or professional oversight organizations. There is also the chemistry factor that comes into play when choosing a therapist. When you meet with a prospective therapist (or at least within a few sessions) if you don’t like the person, don’t feel comfortable, don’t feel that you can confide, don’t feel he or she is really there for you then keep looking until you find someone you click with.

“But my insurance doesn’t cover mental health services.” There are therapists that charge according to your ability to pay. Check the referral services for such therapists. Getting professional help is so important that, short of giving up the basic necessities of life, you should explore all avenues for obtaining it.