Just ask things upfront in the first phone call. First, what you will get from him? In other words, what techniques does he employ? If he states up front he never gives advice, you need to know that. How about analysis? Or personal growth "assignments"? Second, how it is that supposed to give you the result? Third and most important, how can you tell when to end it? In othe words, is this like one of those private investigators who keeps claiming he's hot on the trail of your kidnapped daughter, and it's only weeks away if you give him more money to follow up on a contact in the slave trade on a beach in the Bahamas.

Better yet, just read a lot and talk about it with others who do.