Individual Therapy Experience/Expectations
INDIVIDUAL THERAPY EXPERIENCE/EXPECTATIONS
Seeing a therapist for the first, or even just the thought of going to a therapist, may be anxiety-producing for many of us. Many people who have never participated in a therapy session often wonder and daydream about what it will be like.
Will the therapist ask me a lot of questions about my feelings?
Am I supposed to talk about my fears?
Do I HAVE to talk about my childhood?
The truth is, is that every therapist handles their first therapy sessions very differently and accordingly. They often encourage you to ask them questions about their professional lives, training, or experiences during that first session.
It’s like trying on shoes; it has to be the right fit for both of you!
A TIMELINE OF YOUR FIRST THERAPY SESSION
Waiting: The first moments of your arrival at a therapist’s office may be similar to waiting for any other kind of health care appointment. You might check in with a receptionist, fill out the initial paperwork, and then wait for your therapist to bring you back for your session.
Introductions: You’ll most likely spend the first part of your therapy session getting to know one another. Your relationship with your therapist is just like any other—it may work best if you can initially connect on a personal level. You don’t have to leap into your deepest darkest secrets immediately—feel free to talk through your favorite book or the movie you saw last week as a way to get a sense of how the two of you will communicate with one another.
Establishing Needs: Your therapist will need to know why you’re seeking therapy, if it’s a particular reason or just needing someone to talk to maintain every day life. They may ask what kinds of needs or issues you’d like to address during your treatment and what you’ve done to manage your mental health in the past. They’ll want to talk through what worked and what didn’t to understand how best to serve you.
Asking Questions: As a secondary part of understanding what you need from therapy, your therapist may ask some of the following questions:
Have you attended therapy in the past?
What are your symptoms?
Do you have any mental health issues in your family history?
How is your home life?
Do you have a history of suicidal ideation?
Do you have a history of self-harm?
What do you hope to get from therapy?
What do you want to accomplish in sessions?
More Questions: It can also be helpful to create a list of questions that you could ask your therapist. Before your session, consider thinking over what worries or concerns you may have about treatment and then brainstorm some questions to ask your therapist. For example:
Is this confidential?
When would you need to break confidentiality?
How long have you been a therapist?
Are you specialized or do you have any experience with a similar situation as mine?
Have you ever been to therapy yourself?
What kind of things should I plan to do between our sessions?
WHAT SHOULD I DO AFTER MY FIRST THERAPY SESSION?
After your first therapy session, the most important thing to do is to check-in with yourself.
Reflect and ask yourself how your first session went and see how you would feel about going to another session with this therapist.
Remember: there’s no such thing as a one-session cure, so you may feel a little better or relieved, but your symptoms won’t immediately disappear.
Consider how you felt about your therapist specifically.
Did you feel comfortable talking with them?
Could the two of you work together over a long-term time frame?
Therapy is an incredibly individualized process, so only some therapists will be the right fit for you. It’s okay to interview a few before you find the right person, in fact, this is expected.
Additionally, you may have some “homework” from your therapist before your next session. This could be anything from journaling throughout the week to doing a little reading that may help provide context for your next session. Remember, whatever work you do in-between sessions is about making you feel healthier and happier, not about getting a good grade.
