I'm considering maybe going to a psychologist or therapist, mainly to just talk and to find a better way to control my anxieties. I study far away from home in a turbulent town in terms of crime and I find myself constantly under stress. I just want to find better ways to cope with it and to not take things to heart. I also have some fears about intimacy and sex (mostly because I don't want to become pregnant). My boyfriend also supports the idea, saying that if necessary, he could even come with me to a session.
I've started looking around at names and numbers of local therapists, but I'm not quite sure where to start. Is there any title or specific thing I should look for in the advertisements? Basically I just would like to get some things off my chest, and to find out new ways to cope with stress, or maybe mantras or something. I've tried going to the school counsellor at my uni, but they are always overbooked and said that they save the appointments for "more severe cases" (which I understand)
Also, what is it like to visit a therapist? should I prepare anything, or is it a very casual thing? I figure that I'm probably going to end up crying at some point, but I guess that's something they are very used to, haha. I just want some tips for what to expect.
Thank you!