What to expect when... attending your first therapy session

Those of you who have been through the “what to expect in your first therapy session” scenario, will know that sometimes there is a misconception or feeling disease about what to do, say or how to act.

This week’s blog will outline what you can expect from the first session to ensure that you are at ease and try to eliminate the last minute cancelation or not coming back because you are not feeling up to it (yes, I know this happens and it’s okay) or they feel that they did not get to in-depth work.

The first session is usually characterised by a lot of talking, especially on the part of the client so that the therapist can get to know you and your need. It is important to note that this step is just as important as starting to work at what brought you to therapy, because without this session and establishing a therapeutic relationship, future sessions might not be as rewarding as you might not feel safe to open up or start getting into your story in more depth.

Further discussions can include the following topics, amongst others:

· Your goal for therapy – what you want to achieve or get out of the sessions

This enables the sessions to move in the direction of your choosing

· Things that you wish to change or improve

· Looking into coping skills or approaches to difficulty that have or have not worked in the past

· Setting boundaries and expectations (exactly to the point discussed in the intro – eliminate or reduce the misconceptions)

· And exploring your strengths

If you were a client skeptical about your first session, you would have experienced this process and have a better understanding of it now. Therefore, if you know of anyone who needs this info, please share your experience and talk about how your first session went (no need to share personal details though). The more we talk openly about therapy, the less uncertainty or stigma we’ll see regarding mental health in future.

Should you be someone thinking about but you have doubts about what the session would be like – I hope this helps.

(*Please note that this process will vary slightly from therapist to therapist)

We hope to see you for your fist session or in follow-up sessions

- Make your mental health a priority

Best regards

Shanté

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