While some new journals for psychotherapists are beginning to address practical decisions important for attracting clients and succeeding in the business of psychotherapy, the literature which might provide empirical evidence upon which to base such decisions still lags. A study was undertaken to provide practitioners with further information and guidelines for decisions related to embarking upon or changing the nature of a lagging private practice. Undergraduate males (N=203) and females (N=380) were asked to assume that they had seen a therapist once or twice and were deciding whether to continue with that therapist. Subjects rated 40 items for how important each item was in making that decision. Items concerned the therapist's appearance, interpersonal style, and theoretical and social origins; general tangible personal weaknesses; inconvenience; and demands upon clients. The results indicated that males and females agreed strongly that a perceived deficiency in the therapist's interpersonal awareness or skill was primary in discouraging a potential client. Males tended to be more concerned with practical needs and social status external to the therapeutic relationship, while females were more concerned with cooperating or submitting to a situation which would lie within the treatment context. (NRB)