What to expect in your first therapy session

Your first therapy session is typically an introductory and assessment appointment. Your therapist will likely ask you some questions about what brings you in, your history, and your goals. This is an opportunity for you to get a feel for your therapist’s style and vibe and for them to learn more about you. You may also discuss logistics, like scheduling and payment, and if it feels like a good fit, set up additional appointments.

When clients first come to therapy with me, we start with informed consent, which means we go over important topics like confidentiality, privacy, and policies around scheduling, communication, and billing. The rest of the session is open-ended and collaborative. I usually ask you to share a little bit about what’s bringing you to therapy and may ask some questions about your physical and mental health history, your support system, your family, your relationships, your current stressors, and how you’re handling it all. You don’t have to share anything you don’t want to, and there’s no goal or objective or rush to cover everything. The most important thing in this session is to begin building a relationship and determine if therapy with me feels like a good fit for your goals. Clients often say that they feel relieved simply from having the space to feel and express things they’ve been holding onto all by themselves.

My initial appointments are 60 minutes long. If we decide together that we want to continue meeting, we’ll close the session by setting up our schedule. Most clients start with a standing weekly or biweekly slot (50 minutes) to help build momentum.