I started seeing a counselor recently, although I chose not to try anti-depressants. I've had poor and even potentially deadly reactions to them in the past, so I don't view them as an option at this point and I trust those around will let me know if I get to the point where counseling isn't enough.
There's a host of reasons why I started. One is that I'm dealing with two kids with mental health issues. They require an extraordinary amount of care and hyper-vigilance to keep themselves and others safe, as in within eyesight at all times, all sharp objects kept locked up, motion sensors at night, therapy weekly, etc.. The other is that my abuser from childhood recently was arrested and charged for abusing a student and it threw me into a major tailspin, dealing with a lot of "what ifs" and "if I'd been more outspoken as a child, would this have kept others safe from him." The abuse deal was the final straw that told me I needed help. I recognized that I was headed to a dark, scary place and needed help. I've told people I trust when to advise me to seek help, because sometimes I don't always recognize it until I'm too far gone to realize/accept that I'm already there.
So I started thinking who I could trust. I had tried counseling many years ago and didn't like it. The last one I went to seemed more traumatized by what I'd been through than I was and sat there crying. She also pushed me to discuss what happened in detail, and I wasn't ready. I'm still not and may never be, and see no point in doing so. I need to deal with the resulting stress and emotions and see no reason to rehash things moment by moment. When I tried, I had nightmares and near mental breakdowns.
I ended up seeking advice from my pastor. He's a great guy, but I didn't feel comfortable sharing the background of everything with a male and I didn't trust the female counselor on staff, so it was more of just general counseling. (this is where I miss my old pastor, he'd have his wife there and, was quite blunt and to the point, and that's my style too so for the short time I did see him, it was a blessing)
Then I decided to ask for references from the therapist our kids see. He's a great guy and I trust him, but didn't want any conflicts and knew I'd feel more comfortable with a woman. When I first saw her, I laid out my spiritual beliefs and asked her if it would have any bearing on our sessions and if she was comfortable working with me. She is. I'm not sure of her background, but she does appear to be a believer, though of a different denom, and doesn't bring about any conflicts into our discussion. Instead, if there is a question/discussion on spirituality, she is professional enough to help me with it without suggesting any type of compromise to my beliefs and if she has a question, she'll ask.
I'm really comfortable with that. Technically, she's a secular counselor. She doesn't advertise herself as a Christian counselor in any way and works in a group that has numerous counselors in their offices. I wouldn't have known her personal beliefs if they hadn't come up and still don't know them fully, but know that our spirits do seem to relate to each other and that is good.
All that to say...just because a person doesn't advertise themselves as a Christian counselor does not mean that they aren't a Christian or that they aren't willing to work with your beliefs. The best way to figure out if you and the counselor are a good fit would be to visit different ones, ask key questions, and then make your decision. It can be a frustrating process, but to really get the help you need, you might have to put out a little extra time and money and just go through that process to find your match.
BTW, I'm really glad that you're going to see one. So many go on medication, but don't see a counselor. ANYONE on mediation should be in counseling/therapy while they are on it, never just on medication. If a doctor does prescribe it without stressing that it should be combined with counseling, I'd consider that doctor untrustworthy.
