What to Expect in Your First Therapy Session

A lot of people put off starting therapy not because of the therapy itself, but because of not knowing what the first session involves. It helps to know roughly what to expect walking in.

Before the session

You'll typically fill out some intake paperwork ahead of time, covering basic history, current concerns, and consent forms. This is mostly administrative and lets us spend the actual session on the parts that matter.

During the session

The first session is mostly about orientation, both ways. I'll ask about what's bringing you in, relevant history, what you've already tried, and what you're hoping is different. You're also getting a read on me, how I ask questions, whether the pace feels right, whether it feels like a place you can be honest. It's not a test, and there's no wrong way to answer.

It's normal for a first session to feel a little unfocused compared to later ones. We're building a map, not solving something yet.

By the end

We'll usually land on a rough sense of what to focus on and what a reasonable course of treatment might look like, whether that's weekly sessions working through a specific pattern, or something more open-ended. Nothing has to be decided permanently in that first hour. If it doesn't feel like a fit, that's useful information too, and I'd rather hear that directly than have someone quietly not come back.

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You can go straight to scheduling, or start with a free 15-minute call first.

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