How To Prepare For Your First Therapy Session
I just scheduled my first therapy session… how do I prepare?
We just chatted for 15 minutes on the phone to talk a little about what’s bringing you into therapy, I shared with you how I think I may be able to help and what approach I take in therapy. You felt comfortable enough to schedule your first session and you just asked the common and understandable question of, “Do I need to do anything, or prepare in some kind of way for my first session?”
I assure you, “Nope! Just bring yourself.” Let’s get into this a little deeper, to help you feel confident in “how to prepare for your first therapy session.” Once I schedule an initial session with a new client, I ask for a few demographic details so that I can create your online portal. This is where you receive your intake paperwork that you will fill out online prior to coming into the session.
What’s in the intake paperwork?
The intake paperwork will include some basic informed consent forms, letting you know about things like my office policies, confidentiality, electronic communication, privacy practices, etc. You will also be invited to fill out a client history form where you can share up front as much or as little in response to the questions regarding your history. Depending on what you shared with me during your free 15 minute phone consult, it is possible you will also receive a couple self-reporting questionnaires used to look at symptoms and severity of anxiety and depression.
Do I need to bring anything to the first session?
As long as you were able to fill out your intake forms in the online portal, there is nothing you need to physically bring with you to the session. I like to recommend people wear comfy clothes if they’d like, as I have always found it helpful to be in clothes that make me feel good when exploring something new (and potentially vulnerable).
What kinds of things will we talk about in the first session?
Our first session is referred to as the “intake session.” Since it will be our first time meeting, you can expect to feel like we have way more to talk about than we will be able to fit into 50 minutes. This is okay! The majority of the first session will look like me asking you open ended questions about your history and you getting to share what ever and how ever much you are comfortable to share. If there is ever something I ask you that you are not yet ready to talk about, that is completely okay. Your therapy time is there for YOU. Toward the end of our session, I’ll help us wrap up and make sure you leave feeling like you have an understanding of what our direction is going to look like in regards to your therapy treatment goals. We’ll schedule our next session together, and I’ll see you the following week!
If you’re feeling interested in chatting with me to talk about you possibly wanting to start therapy, click the contact button below to set up your free 15 minute consultation. I look forward to hearing from you and hope you’re already feeling more confident about your new therapy journey!
