What to expect when starting therapy

I want to start by reassuring you if you feel nervous, apprehensive, or anxious about your first therapy session, that’s super normal. Starting therapy (especially for the time first time) can be really scary and take a lot of courage. I want to commend you on your steps to even get to this point.

Prior to your first session

Submit an inquiry via email, phone, website to your potential therapist.
Request or expect to schedule a consultation phone/video call.
Discuss fees and payment options for sessions.
Discuss schedule, session regularity, and availability.
Schedule an initial session.
Fill out initial paperwork and assessments.

During your first session

Your therapist will talk to you about limits to confidentiality and privacy practices.
Your therapist may touch on practice policies such as cancellation fees and mutual expectations.
Be prepared to share about what brings you to therapy and the history of the problem.
Be prepared to share some background information about your personal history, lifestyle, family, and self-care habits.
Setting goals with your therapist.
You can decide on whether to move forward with more sessions or not. Just because you’ve committed to one session, if the vibes really aren’t right or something feels wrong to you. You can decide whether you will bring it up with your therapist and/or decline another session.

Subsequent sessions

Diving deeper into the issues that brought you to therapy in the first place.
Diving deeper into issues and/or experiences from your past that may be impacting your present.
Working on skills, coping mechanisms, tools, and practices that can create long-lasting change.
Processing feels, values, and cultural impacts that could be helping/hurting you.
Getting assigned homework or things to practice outside of sessions.
Assessing for progress on goals and duration of treatment.

Expectations of your therapist

Someone who listens to you, asks you questions, and makes you feel heard.
Will not necessarily give you direct advice and solutions to all your problems, especially not without your input.
Will ask you questions about what’s happening in the present and the past in order to get to know you better and determine a treatment plan.
Shows up on time to sessions and ends sessions on their allotted time.
May not be willing to text/email/call you outside of sessions. This varies therapist to therapist and could be worth asking about, if not covered in your consent forms.
Is usually not an emergency contact. In a psychiatric emergency, you should call 911 not your therapist for help.

Expectations for yourself

Attend sessions regularly. This will give you the best chance of gaining the benefits from therapy, by showing up consistently and on time.
Prepare to need some space or self-care after sessions. Sometimes you may feel worn down or raw after sessions and may need a buffer before jumping into other activities.
Make effort to speak up and about difficult topics that may be affecting you.
Do any therapy homework between sessions.
Don’t lie to your therapist, it’s okay to say you’re not ready to talk about a specific topic.
Be active in the process, think of things you may want to work on, talk about, or change. Ask questions, state your opinions, and work with your therapist to set goals.

Help, it’s my first time going to therapy!