How to Prepare for your First Therapy Session

Yay! If you are reading this and have a first session or consultation scheduled with a potential therapist you have already advocated for yourself, way to go! Meeting a therapist for the first time can feel overwhelming. I mean, meeting anyone for the first time can feel daunting…..but someone you are ‘spilling our guts’ to the first few times you meet them, yeah.. that’s a lot. 

These 10 questions will help you with the first few sessions and assess if it’s going to be a good fit. They will help you feel less overwhelmed, more empowered, and intentional with your time. 

1)What is a typical session like? 

2)How long are the sessions?

3)How much do you charge per session? What are your sliding-scale options?

4)Are you available for me to reach out (in an emergency) outside of our scheduled sessions? 

5)How often would you anticipate seeing me (frequency)? 

6)What is your general philosophy and approach to helping? 

7)Are you more directive (life coach-ish) or more guiding?

8)How do you set up counseling goals? 

9)How often would we assess progress towards goals?  

10)How comfortable are you with a collaborative approach? 

How the therapist answers the above 10 questions will allow you to see what it would feel like working with this therapist. If you feel anything but pumped, excited, and ready to get to work…… RUN. Like literally get up and run. Well actually, you could probably just walk out, no need to run, but definitely leave! Do not hesitate to ask for referrals on your way out the door for other therapists that would meet your needs more appropriately. 

Lastly, always always always remember: YOUR THERAPIST WORKS FOR YOU.