If you have never tried psychotherapy before it can feel very intimidating or uncomfortable to think about starting. Knowing what to expect can help alleviate some of those fears or worries.
When calling or emailing to schedule your first appointment in addition to asking for basic demographic information such as your name, date of birth and phone number you will be asked for insurance/payment information along with a brief description of what you are seeking services for. Having a general understanding of what issues you are seeking therapy for helps to ensure that you are being matched with an appropriate therapist who will best meet your needs.
Once your appointment is scheduled you will be asked to complete some intake paperwork. This can generally be done ahead of time for your appointment or you can arrive early on the day of your appointment to complete it. It is best to allow yourself at least 20 minutes to complete the paperwork so you are not feeling rushed or overwhelmed and can answer all the questions as accurately as possible. The paperwork will generally consist of a packet gathering more personal information such as name, date of birth, address, marital status, occupation along with more specific questions about symptoms, any medications that you may be on, history or treatment and family history. There will also be more paperwork explaining your rights as a patient, billing policies, policies of the practice that you will need to sign in order to consent to treatment. It is important to read over these to ensure you understand and it is always ok to ask questions before signing if you are unsure of anything. Office staff or your therapist should be able to answer any questions you may have. Your therapist will review your paperwork either prior to your appointment or with you present during the intake session.
Once your therapist takes you into their office for the session they may start by introducing themselves, reviewing rules on confidentiality and limitations with confidentiality. Confidentiality means that what you say in session to your therapist cannot be shared with anyone else without your permission but there are a few exceptions to this which your therapist should review with you. If at any point during your treatment you are unsure you can ask your therapist to review these limitations with you again.
Your therapist will spend this first session getting to know you and learning about what issues you are wanting to address during your treatment. They will ask about current symptoms, history of these symptoms and when they started to present. They will likely ask questions about family history, current support systems, interests, work/school, substance use, religious affiliation or other questions that may pertain to your situation. You will work with your therapist to identify treatment goals. A treatment plan will be established within the first few sessions to identify things you will be working on within your sessions. Each therapist has a different style and approach to treatment and it is always ok to ask questions regarding your treatment. It can take a few sessions to become comfortable with your therapist and for them to get to know you well enough to start to create more specific treatment for you so it is a good idea to give yourself a few sessions. If you are feeling like your therapist is not a good fit for you it is always ok to ask them for a referral to someone who may be a better fit for you. The frequency of sessions will vary based on need and availability for both you and your therapist and this is also something that will be discussed during your first session.
