I've Scheduled My First Appointment Now What ?
The idea of having your first session with a new therapist can be nerve wracking, especially if you have never been to therapy before, so I have compiled the following list of ways to prepare yourself for session one.
Prepare to open yourself up more than you do with other people.
Confiding in someone you don’t know may be uncomfortable or even embarrassing at first but, I assure you, it can actually be incredibly freeing. Therapy is a judgment free space and your therapist has no stake in the things you say other than helping you better understand yourself. It is important to know beforehand that you are going to be asked a lot of questions about sensitive topics but, the more open and honest you can be, the better your new therapist will be able to identify how they can best help you.
Think of this first session as an interview.
This session is about seeing if you and your therapist are a good fit for each other. It is encouraged for you to bring a list of any questions you may have for them. These questions could include but are not limited to: logistical questions about payment and scheduling, questions about the therapeutic techniques they use and how sessions are structured, or even just expressing any concerns you may have about therapy.
Think about your reasons.
Take some time before the session to sit down and think about what you want out of therapy. These reasons are unique to every individual but some examples could be to decrease anxious thoughts, process trauma, or, in the case of couple’s therapy, to improve communication and understanding with your partner.
Don’t book yourself solid.
Give yourself some time on either side of the appointment to mentally prepare for and recover from therapy. You may want time beforehand to give you a chance to ease yourself into being emotionally vulnerable. But, if you can only give yourself time on one side of the appointment, try to make it afterwards. Therapy can bring up intense emotions and it is important to give yourself a chance to sit with them and slowly transition back into the rest of your day rather than shoving the feelings down and rushing off to the next thing on your schedule when you may not be fully present.
There is no pressure to keep going.
It is ok to not want a second session. If you feel that the therapist is not a good fit, you are under no obligation to see them again. Every therapist and type of therapy is different and it can take a couple of tries to find what is going to work for you. Don’t stay with the first.
Blog written by Riley Young of Virtually Riley