Finally giving in, deciding to seek therapist. Help please?

After many, many, many years of dealing with just about every emotional issue under the sun without seeing any professional help, I have finally decided to find and speak to a therapist.

What kind of therapist should I find? Is there a specific therapist practitioner I should look for?

For reference, I have a long history of depression, social anxiety, might be bipolar (Never been diagnosed obviously, but based on all the research I have done, it seems likely that I suffer from all 3)

Thanks in advance!

Checks:
-Look for a therapist with valid credentials
-Look for a therapist whose personality matches your's
-Look for an intelligent, open-minded and empathetic therapist

It took me four to find the right one. There were two lacking therapists out of the five but it wasn't too bad for me. It's worth it IMO.

Red flags:
-Therapist looks in self-help book for understanding
-CBT-only therapists
-Belittling or dumb therapists

Awesome advice. Thank you!

Does anyone know of a therapist ratings/review site I could possibly reference? I would rather not go therapist hopping before I land on one I like.

I found all of my therapists through referrals. I would ask your family doctor or relatives/friends if they can recommend someone.

To add to the list of things to look for, I would suggest working with someone who has (a) experience in general, preferably 10+ years, and (b) experience with your particular issues.

I was just thinking of seeing my primary care physician and asking him. Thank you so much for your input. Will definitely consider doing just that.

I'm actually having a hard time finding a Doctor. Do you guys see Psychiatrists or are these some sort of specialized therapists?

Would love to know because I've been looking for Psychiatrists and have not found one that's positively reviewed and that uses my health insurance.

I have struggled with finding a good psychiatrist also. I think they are few and far between. You can sometimes find a nurse practitioner who specializes in mental health. They can prescribe psych meds, and are trained to do so. That's what my therapist recommended, although I've not followed up on it.

DAmn, i just got one .. And i think he hates my guts, pretty much what i feel about my self.. I think he hates me cause i still have money but im an inch for ending it all.. I dont care about money at all, nobody understands anything ..

What a ****ed up world!

I have seen a few therapists actually, I would say that Perigrenus has it right. I would say that I really haven't benefited from one of them but I just assumed that they're someone I should adjust to.
But the ones that are open-minded/empathetic, have really benefited me.