[JoblessWonder]

That sounds horrible. It gets to one of the main problems with finding a therapist where you do some research and find someone that you think you will connect with, then reach out and risk rejection because they are full or don't have availability when you need it. Even if they offer you a referral it isn't the person who you were excited (on some level) about.

My wife is a therapist and tries to prevent this by being as transparent as possible. She posts her rates, her calendar, and makes it very clear that she is private pay only on her website. By the time someone reaches out to her, they usually know that it is going to work because they have had the opportunity to see all of that information.