What to Expect in Your First Few Therapy Sessions
You’ve done the work to find a therapist who seems like a good fit and scheduled your first session…now what?!
At Grander Peace Counseling, we want to congratulate you on taking these next steps toward growth and healing. It’s also completely normal to have lots of different feelings, including some anticipatory anxiety about what to expect. While every therapist has their own unique style and flow, here’s a general overview of what you can typically expect during your first few sessions. And while much of what you’ll read below is structured in design, it doesn’t have to be a formal or stuffy process.
Paperwork
Before meeting with your therapist for your first session, you’ll likely need to review and sign some paperwork. While it may not be the most exciting part of starting therapy, these documents are important! It's an important opportunity to understand the therapy process and what you’re consenting to as you begin this venture. This paperwork may include information about informed consent, HIPAA and privacy practices, client rights, service rates, cancellation/no-show policies, and other policies or expectations. You may also have an opportunity to share some information about what you’re hoping to work on in therapy before meeting with your therapist. If anything feels unclear, please reach out to your therapist with questions!
The Intake
Your first one or two sessions are often referred to as the intake or diagnostic assessment. This time is generally used to learn more about what’s happening in your world, what has brought you to therapy, and what you may be hoping for from the process. Every therapist approaches this differently, but your initial sessions may include a combination of questions, clinical assessments, and conversation about the therapy process.
We might talk about what has been happening lately, important relationships, your history, patterns you’ve noticed, and the things that matter most to you. You can also share more about past difficult life experiences or trauma. If you’ve been in therapy before, we may talk about what you’ve already tried and what has or hasn’t felt helpful for you. There’s no pressure to disclose anything that you aren’t comfortable with yet or decline to answer a question. Therapy is a process of figuring things out together. Your pace, comfort, and sense of safety are the priority!
It is important to disclose that if you’re using health insurance to pay for therapy, a mental health diagnosis is generally required for insurance billing and coverage of services. Your therapist may discuss diagnostic information with you as part of the intake process. If you’re paying privately, the documentation may look different, and a diagnosis is not necessarily required to participate in therapy. Your therapist can help you understand what applies to your specific situation!
Treatment Plan
A treatment plan is commonly referred to as a roadmap for therapy. It gives us an opportunity to get curious together about where you are now, where you’d like to go, and what might help you get there.Your therapist brings their clinical experience and guidance, while you bring your own experiences and knowledge of yourself. Together, we intentionally explore what you’d like to work toward both during therapy sessions and in your everyday life. Treatment plans can include specific, measurable goals that help us notice and track changes over time, as well as more ambiguous points of intentional exploration. It's a requirement to review this every six months, but we can always check in about it before that if needed.
And just like any good roadmap, it can shift with your needs and as therapy progresses! You don’t need to have all the answers when you begin therapy, as it's common to switch gears and figure out the direction together. The most important part is that you feel supported, heard, and involved in the process.
You've Made It! Therapy Now Begins
At this point, the housekeeping pieces of therapy have been taken care of and the real work begins!
If you’re needing support right now or have additional questions about the therapy process, our Grander Peace Counseling therapists would love to connect with you.