What to Expect at the First Session and Beyond

Before your first session, here’s what you can expect.

After an appointment is scheduled, you will receive an email with a link to the SimplePractice client portal to read through and fill out all the necessary paperwork and informed consent forms. SimplePractice is a HIPAA compliant platform and your information will remain confidential and secure.

Be sure to set aside an adequate amount of time to go through everything as there are multiple forms and questionnaires. Some of the questions may be activating for certain clients so be sure to take care of yourself when you complete the paperwork. Some of the questions on the intake form are required and others are not; fill out the form to your level of comfort. Expect to take between 15-30 minutes to read and fill out all the digital paperwork. Make sure to fill out the paperwork at least 12 hours prior to your appointment to allow your clinician an adequate amount of time to go over the information. Failure to do so may result in having to reschedule the session.

If your appointment is through telehealth, you will receive an email with the google meets link 24-48 hours before the session. If you do not receive a link within that time period, please reach out to the practitioner directly.

If your appointment is in-person and you are driving to the location, you can find parking in the parking lot behind People House. You may enter the house through the front or back door, and there is a waiting room on the main floor of the house. Text your clinician upon arrival and/or wait in the waiting area and your clinician will come get you and take you to their office. Please wear a mask in the common areas even if you are vaccinated. The mask policy may change depending on the current status of COVID-19 in the area.

Here’s what your first session will look like.

Your first session is unlike any other session because there is so much information to get through. Some people might feel somewhat unsettled or uncomfortable after the first session because it may feel distanced or rushed. Try to give it time; it usually takes about 3 sessions to get an accurate sense of if you and your therapist are a good fit.

During the session, your therapist will go over all of the forms that you digitally signed prior to meeting. This will include information about confidentiality, mandatory reporting, communication policies, and payment. Don’t hesitate to speak up on anything that needs clarifying. Afterwards, they will likely go over your intake questionnaire with you in more detail to give you a chance to elaborate further or they may have a different questionnaire or assessment to go through with you. You are always allowed to decline answering a question if it feels overly invasive; you never have to answer anything or reveal any information that makes you feel overly uncomfortable.

If you feel like there is information that isn’t covered in the intake that is relevant and important to know, feel free to mention it. If you aren’t able to disclose everything you wished to share, don’t worry - you will have time! There is simply so much to get through in the first session that it can be difficult to get to everything.

What therapy might look and feel like in ongoing sessions.

There are many people who come into therapy feeling nervous because they do not know what to expect from the entire process. Some folks may feel scared to ask questions, are unsure how much they’re supposed to talk, or are confused about what the relationship with their therapist is going to be like or how long they’re going to be in therapy for. If you fall into any of these categories, keep reading - hopefully we can help quell some of your concerns.

Answering what therapy will look like is difficult because every therapeutic relationship is unique and so the only honest answer is “it depends”. What is known though is that the most important aspect to successful therapy is the strength of the relationship. Be patient, but be sure to continue to check in with yourself. Know that it is always okay to bring up your uncertainties and give feedback to your clinician; they will likely want to explore and address your concerns!

Therapy is a strange relationship in that it is unlike any other relationship you will likely ever have. It is important to feel safe in order to be vulnerable and to work through difficult feelings. This requires trust, which can be hard to build without knowing the person you are talking to. Therapists are often careful about what they self-disclose because the time and space they hold for you is exactly that: For You. Disclosing too much might take away from the focus of the session and could unknowingly alter the therapeutic relationship. Some clients may start to change what they share in session because they know certain information about the therapist or become preoccupied with how it will affect them. Other therapists believe that revealing little will allow the client to project unresolved relationships onto the therapist since they do not have much knowledge of the therapist’s personal life. This can then be discussed and processed to help the individual work through certain feelings, patterns, or behaviors.

Ultimately, self-disclosure should be supportive to your process and healing. It should be used intentionally to help you. If you need to know more about your therapist in order to build that safe space with them, say something. It is perfectly okay to bring up the relationship, your experience with the therapist/therapy, or state directly what you think you need - just know that your therapist may not answer as directly as you wish. You may receive the infamous “answering a question with a question” technique. This is so the focus continues to be on you and your process - you might be surprised by what it can bring up! Many therapists will answer your question more directly after they process with you.

Many people also worry about showing up to therapy the “right'“ way. The only right way to show up to therapy is by being yourself. If you have any idea of how you would like the time and space to be used, you are allowed to mention that. If you want to be focused and goal-driven toward specific problems, that is worth mentioning. If you are interested in exploring identities or existential topics and need space to reflect and process, mention that as well. If you know that you can only open up if your therapist asks you questions directly, state that. A good therapist will always hold space for whatever you come into the session with. If an issue is beyond their scope, an ethical practitioner will seek supervision and consultation and/or provide you with referrals to other mental health clinicians.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out. Be sure to check out the FAQ page to see if your question has been answered there!