Tips For Finding An Affordable Therapist For Depression?

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I think it might be a good idea for me to start speaking to a therapist again, but I'm not really sure how to go about finding one who will be a good fit for me.

I'm very fortunate; there was no real selection process; in our small (pop. 311) village he's virtually the only game in town. When I enquired, he was booked solid and not taking new clients; the following week, a client moved away, and I was offered their time slot. When my wife lost her job and I got anxious over the bills, he agreed to see me for just the Medicare assignment. I'm his last client of the day, and he almost invariably gives me an extra 30 minutes or more.
I'm very fortunate indeed.

My criteria were:
Someone who uses modalities I've found helpful in the past, like Rational Emotive Therapy.
Someone experienced in working with PTSD.
Not someone who does nothing more than dispense Rx antidepressants.
Someone who takes Medicare.

Making a list like this should help you winnow the field down considerably.

I can't advise regarding services in Australia, but I'll mention some options in the US and maybe there are parallel avenues there.

Universities sometimes have a psychology or psychiatry "training clinic" that sees patients on a sliding scale. (Sliding scale means, no fixed rate, people with low incomes pay less.)

Cities and counties sometimes have a community mental health center that, likewise, chargers on a sliding scale.

Other than that, you can google "mental health therapist" and your locality, see what comes up, check their websites and under the "Billing" tab, see if they mention a sliding scale.

Good luck! I hope this works out for you.

If and when I get another counselor, the first thing I want to know, is , will they call Mandated Reporter for every "depression" mention