You might find yourself wondering, "what should I expect in my first therapy appointment?"
You’ve contacted us and booked yourself for your very first appointment. Hooray! Seriously though, what an amazing step to take towards healing. Sometimes the initial step is a huge undertaking. You’ve spent days going back and forth, pushing through the anxiety of booking the appointment. Since the day you committed, you’ve been wondering what it is actually going to be like when you sit down with your therapist, and begin tackling your issues.
The unknown is scary, I get it. Imagine the very first time you went to get your blood drawn, and you had no idea what was going to happen. How nervous would you be? Your mind would likely come up with all sorts of stories to try and fill in the blanks. I want to make sure that we ease your worries, and make therapy as comfortable as possible.
So, what should you expect in your first counselling session?
1. Before your appointment you will receive consent forms and a questionnaire to fill out. This is to ensure I have some information about you and your presenting issues.
2. Usually in the first few minutes I will greet you, ask you about your day- we’ll start small! This is to make sure you feel comfortable with me before digging in. I make sure you’ve found a comfortable place to sit, a place for your things, and are settled in.
3. We will go over the consent forms and confidentiality. It’s important for you to give informed consent. If you have any questions- just ask! Informed consent is such an important piece to ensuring you feel safe! Then we will go over the questionnaire. Before you come in I will have looked at this information, but I might ask you to elaborate on things you wrote down. This is to get a really good idea of what you want to work on, and to be able to make a healing plan together (some call this a treatment plan, but “treatment” to me is very medical and cold. We take a person-centered, holistic approach at Northern Therapy Clinic).
4. I will likely get you to tell me more about your life as it is today, in the past, and what you’re hoping for in the future. I want to get a full picture of who you are, your goals for therapy and life outside of therapy.
5. Lastly, you can ask me questions and we can discuss. Then we will talk about a plan for scheduling appointments, schedule in your next one, and you’ll be on your way!
I can't wait to see you in therapy! Book your first appointment now.
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