Good questions both. In order for a therapist to do any convincing I first had to find one that I could feel a connection with. I went through seven of these people who were near useless before I learned a way to search out a useful one. This is what got it done:

1. I googled to find an appealing therapy protocol. I chose EMDR.
2. Googled to find therapists who practiced my chosen therapy protocol in my area.
3. Read their profiles to find one who appealed to me. The one I chose was not the nearest one but the one who seemed most relatable to me.

Now I am fighting to relearn life. Biggest challenge I have ever faced.

So the way this therapist is convincing is that she uses my chosen therapy, she is downright relatable, I mean we actually have a good flow of communication. This is something I had never known with another human being. Also she practices what she preaches, in other words she too has an EMDR therapist she sees. Sure, she knows psychology and the EMDR protocol more than enough to help me but like anyone else she has still has challenges too. In other words she is a patient too, she can relate to those who suffer what we do because she has suffered as we have.