I almost didn't want to comment because there is so much ignorance prevalent in this thread, and I don't have much confidence that any wisdom would ameliorate that. I believe it's worth trying to explain. I will preface this by saying that I am a psychologist for the Department of Corrections, and have over a decade of experience as a licensed therapist, if that adds some validity to this discussion. I also provide clinical supervision to other therapists and provide training for laymen and professionals.
1. I would start by addressing bias and political affiliation. All humans have biases and that is inescapable. The impact of those biases and how you treat other humans is based on your insight and acceptance of this fact. If you pretend they don't exist it will create a barrier. Most people have political beliefs; that is only natural. Those political beliefs are typically tied to your personal philosophy which impacts your world view. The only time I've noticed it interfere with therapists' clinical ability is when their belief is so extreme that it clouded their judgment. The therapy session isn't a political forum, and it should seldom, if ever, be broached.
2. Like in all professions not every practitioner is created equal. The person to finish last in their class in medical school is still called, "doctor." There are many people educated beyond their intelligence. Not all school programs are equal. In therapy specifically the biggest barrier are those who have not worked through their issues, and that bleeds out into different elements of their session. No human is perfect, and you can't expect a therapist to be perfect. If your therapist comes across like more of a train wreck than you, you probably need to request a new therapist. The first thing I look at is their office. Is it tidy or a mess? If you can't even clean your own room how do you expect to take on the world's problems. Just a short addendum: if a therapist is giving you advice that is NOT therapy and you should get a new therapist. You are the expert of your life; what's best for one person may not be what is best for you. A good therapist assists you to figure out your own answers.
3. To answer the comment that therapists are not experts of the human mind, I don't understand that response because that's exactly what they study. Human behavior and thought patterns are predictable. A therapist objectively finds behavioral and thought patterns that inhibit growth. You can't just depend on family and friends for that for insight because they are not always able to be objective, nor trained to do such. Depending on the severity of the issue it could bring significant distress to family and friends (i.e., trauma) to discuss.
4. The point of therapy is to help those who feel stuck and need assistance moving forward. That looks different for everyone. Ultimately the job of a therapist is to make sure you don't need a therapist and to build your autonomy. A therapist who doesn't know when to discharge a person lacks insight and proper boundary setting. The world is a brutal place and any therapist worth their grain of salt works to prepare you for that.
5. If you have any questions let me know. I am particular in who I hire to do my electrical work, why should you not particular in who you hire to improve your mental health? Typically the largest hindrance to the success of therapy is ourselves. Many people think there is a magic wand that will make their suffering vanish. They are maybe afraid to unravel the blanket that cushions their ego. They are maybe afraid of failure; failing to work hard to make changes in their life; afraid of behavior relapse. In these circumstances it's easy to blame someone else than take responsibility and ownership for our successes and failures. When a client thanks me for helping them I always respond, "Thanks, but you did most the work." And that is sincere; you never work harder than your client. If you are there is resistance to change that you aren't addressing.
Best of luck.
