Meeting with a therapist for the first time can be intimidating if you don’t know what to expect. The first session follows a different format as it’s more of an intake and getting to know your therapists style. This session is about figuring out whether you have good chemistry and are comfortable moving forward with the therapist.
If you meet your therapist in person usually you will sign papers regarding patient privacy, confidentiality limitations, practice policies, and a consent to treat. If you meet your therapist online this paperwork will be sent to you via email. During the first session the therapist will go over the cancellation policy and make sure you are comfortable with the guidelines and policies.
Discussing Your Past and Future Goals
In this first session the therapist is collecting data and history-gathering questions about you. The therapist asks you a lot of questions about your family life, childhood and where you are feeling stuck in your life and or relationship.
You want to share all the reasons you are seeking therapy and your goals. It’s important to understand how the therapist will help meet these goals. You may not feel comfortable answering all the questions in the first session. It’s okay to let the therapist know that you would rather revisit this topic at a later time. You want to set boundaries with the therapist based on your comfort level.
You Need to Ask Questions
You may want to ask questions about the modalities the therapist will be using for example; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) and if you are in couples counseling Emotional Focused Therapy (EFT,) Imago Relationship Therapy, etc. You want to learn how these different approaches and therapy modalities can help you or you and your partner. If you want active feedback and guidance, let your therapist know this is important to you. Use this first session as an opportunity to ask any questions you or your partner may have about counseling and their approach to helping you. Ask the therapist about their hours of operations and if you can only meet in the evening or weekends make sure they are available during these times. People are also often curious about the frequency of counseling and typically how long clients usually stay in counseling.
Ending the first Session
Be true to yourself and make sure the therapist is the right fit if you or you and your partner decide to reschedule an appointment and begin the therapeutic relationship. You will also want to understand how payment works for example, will you or you and your partner be billed after every session or on a monthly basis. If you are paying out of pocket, request an invoice if you are using out of network benefits so you can submit to your insurance for reimbursement.
If you are suffering from anxiety, depression, trauma or relationship issues and are interested in starting therapy Contact us at HERE for a complimentary consultation.
The Relationship Suite
We are a group of skilled therapists specializing in relationship counseling. We provide individual and couples therapy. To find out more about Relationship Counseling CLICK HERE.
