Johnston Maureen R Mft

i met Maureen Johnson approximately 10 years ago when my attorney, who was handling my divorce, directed to me to get some counseling in order to cope with the drastic change that was taking place in my life.
I admit that at first i was very resistant to talking with Maureen, but she never gave up on me nor did she ever make me feel that I was helpless or hopeless. She never pushed me to the point where I was uncomfortable. She was very supportive of me and my feelings. She worked with me when I was having financial difficulties. I stayed with Maureen for three and one-​half years. But, honestly, the true test is how her words of support and confidence building are still with me to this day. There are many times in my new life that i reflect on the therapy that she provided to me. I could not have made it on my own and I know that now more than ever. She gave me what I needed at a time when I was totally «lost». I believe that good therapy lasts a lifetime.

Maureen was nice enough, but I ended up choosing to go with a different therapist.
My first experience with Maureen was via phone. I called and left her a message, and she called me back the next day. We ended up playing phone tag for about 2 weeks. I was a bit bothered that every time she returned my call, it took her two days to do so. Somehow that doesn’t show the responsibility I would expect from a therapist.
Part of the phone tag was probably unnecessary, some of the information could have been given up front. My first call I asked if she took sliding scale. Her response was «yes, it depends on how low you need.» Not, «I go as low as _​_​_​_​». «How low you need» is pretty open. I assumed there would be some formula based on my income or something, and that we couldn’t figure this out via phone tag. But when I suggested discussing it the first time we meet, she said that made it awkward.
Okay, so great start to the relationship. I haven’t even had a conversation with you yet and you’re calling me awkward. You’re the person who knows how this stuff is supposed to work, take the lead!
After two weeks or so and another two days of waiting for a response trying to figure out scheduling, I had given up and called a different therapist. Finally she called me back and we talked in person, and set up a meeting.
She left a clipboard with intake paperwork for me in the waiting room. I’m not sure how i feel about this, given that a postit with my name on it was on the paperwork. Breach of confidentiality? I’m not sure.
During the session she asked lots of questions in attempt to get to know me, as I expected. Somehow some of her responses seemed more sympathetic than empathetic, and with all the questioning, I just didn’t feel the peer relationship I was hoping for in a therapist.
She was knowledgeable, and well established in the therapy community though, and nice enough, just not right for me.
For reference, she goes as low as $ 65.
Update: Several months later I got a call from her trying to confirm an appointment. I think she got me confused with someone else since I only had the one and never scheduled a second. I called and left her a VM reminding her I had gone with a different therapist.