I've done consultations with three therapists so far, and reading articles about trust my own gut to find the best"fit". I've been seeking someone to help with anxiety and depression.

1: I really enjoyed talking with them, they listened and had a present, slow communication style. What didn't feel great: They asked questions that hurt because they were true (if I realized that my behaviors were like toxic buddies), and questions I had no idea how to think about (whether there were some upsides to my numbing behaviors). Also not very many modalities (mainly mindfulness CBT, strengths focused).

2: Trained in a moderate range of modalities (CBT, narrative, internal family systems, etc.). They had a lot to say and sometimes they had some insightful comments on my depressive behaviors, that what the prefrontal cortex part of us is less powerful than our emotions so even though we might want to work on self, the emotional self still might be putting the brakes on. What didn't feel great: not very many details on what they specifically would do to align the emotional self (the how can they help), said I was minimizing something when I didn't (they misheard), and when they said they disagreed with my beliefs full stops (not clear on what they had issues with other than my depressive thoughts). Can't do weekly sessions and I've just started therapy and want to have someone to talk to weekly, said therapists want patients to learn independence.

3: has said they've had anxiety and depression before, and work with clients with similar issues. A moderate range of modalities. What didn't feel great: Very vague and "ask yourself" when I wanted to discuss session frequency. There's giving advice and then there's simply providing no specific feedback. I don't want sessions to be spent on floating rhetorical questions because that is frustrating, and not in a way that I see as meaningful.

If I choose based on who I'm most comfortable talking to, it's #1, if I choose based on who offers psychological insight, it's #2, if I choose who has lived experience and deals with clients similar to me, it's #3. But #1 doesn't have modality range, #2 feels a bit constrictive and #3 leaves me floating in question marks to basic questions.

What should I consider foremost in who would be the best to go with given their limitations?