Are people good at choosing a therapist?

Choosing the right therapist is a deeply personal decision, and new research suggests that having the power to "filter" for specific qualities brings significant benefits. A large-scale study of over 150,000 adults using a digital therapy platform found that when patients are given the option to select their provider's background or specialty, they are more likely to stay in therapy and see greater reductions in symptoms. Patients who selected a therapist based on identity characteristics—such as shared race, religion, or sexual orientation—were up to 14% more likely to complete at least three sessions. In addition, while the majority of patients experienced clinically meaningful improvement in therapy, those who selected a clinical specialty (like trauma or family conflict) had a greater decrease in depression and anxiety symptoms than those who didn’t. Whether it’s shared demographics or expertise in a specific area, applying these criteria may help provide the “good fit” that translates into strong alliances and better outcomes.

Citation:

Forman-Hoffman V, Hsyeh E, Kanagaraj M, Gille A, Ceneviva M, Grant C

Patient-Provider Matching, Engagement, and Outcomes of a Digital Mental Health Treatment Platform: Real-World Retrospective Cohort Study

JMIR Form Res 2026;10:e81121

URL: https://formative.jmir.org/2026/1/e81121

DOI: 10.2196/81121