The question of choosing a psychologist is, in fact, very relevant. Unfortunately, the level of current psychological culture in our country is quite low, there is a cloud of myths and stereotypes around psychologists and psychotherapists; separating the seeds from the chaff for an inexperienced person is not a trivial task. Again, in our country there is such a specificity of the psychological sphere as the lack of a state license to act as a practical psychologist. Therefore, in most cases, the presence of a psychologist or psychotherapist at any medical or psychological center does not provide any guarantee of the professionalism of the specialist. And given the economic situation in Ukraine, most psychologists are forced to practice privately, without even having the opportunity to open their own office. It is quite difficult to fit all the correct or incorrect actions of a specialist into any one template, especially considering the variety of approaches, directions, schools and individual specific qualities of both the psychologist and the potential client, but nevertheless, let’s try to identify the key points on which you can judge with some degree of confidence the degree of competence of the consulting psychologist you are going to contact. So, the first meeting with a psychologist. In most cases, a counseling scheme is practiced in which the first introductory meeting with a psychologist is free of charge. The client and the specialist get to know each other, talk, deciding and making a decision about the advisability of continuing cooperation. At the first meeting, it is important for a potential client to decide - can he trust this person? Does the psychologist evoke positive and favorable emotions in him? Is there a stable hope for a favorable outcome of joint work? The psychologist, in turn, devotes the first meeting to a thorough diagnosis (verbal or using test techniques) of the problems that concern the client, clearly defines the possibilities and direction of further work, the frequency and cost of subsequent meetings. During a diagnostic conversation, the psychologist cannot determine with accuracy up to the session how many meetings are needed to fully work out the problem. Definitions in the spirit of “You need to undergo ten sessions of psychotherapy” are absurd; it is impossible to categorically predict the individual progress of work. The psychologist’s speech should be understandable to the client, specific, without unnecessary “water”. Harsh judgments and subjective assessments of a situation or someone’s personality are unacceptable from a specialist, just as directive advice and instructions for action are not acceptable: “When you come home, tell your spouse the following:...” I also want to say a few words about appearance psychologist. Personally, a person can express himself in any way he wants, but not while working with a client. Informal or provocative clothing, makeup, piercings in all possible places, tattoos are the first signs that the psychologist himself needs help with social adaptation..