You're listening to the Allender Center podcast with Dr. Dan Allender.

We recently concluded a series about what to look for in a therapist.

But there's another side to that question.

What does a therapist look for in a client?

This week, Dan shares a few categories that he considers when determining

if he's the right fit for pursuing meaningful, effective, therapeutic work with potential clients.

It seems only fair after speaking about what a client should be looking for in a good therapist to address the other side of the

coin, and that is, what does a therapist look for in a client? What's the basis by which a therapist

looks at a client and says, this will be a profitable, wise, good experience for us both.

And obviously, at the very beginning of this, the caveat that I offer is, I'm not a universal therapist.

Other therapists would be looking perhaps for other things.

So it really is much more truthful to say, what do I look for? What do I think many therapists look for?

But what do I look for in a client that I'm going to invest anywhere from months to years in a work that actually

is a love relationship.

It's a relationship of immense impact for good or potentially for harm.

And some of that potential for harm has to be adjudicated right from the beginning as to,

am I the best therapist for the person that I'm about to work with?

And so let me give you a couple of the categories that run through my mind.

And in many ways, this first podcast is addressing some of the categories that run through my mind. In many ways, this first podcast is addressing

some of the perhaps last character-oriented qualities, but more the phenomenon of what good

therapy will require. And the first is a good fit between us. Is there a sense that we can work well because the

presenting problem you're bringing, I have at least some level of knowledge, experience, and

...