What to expect from your first session…
The first session is primarily dedicated to gathering history, getting to know you, and reviewing important paperwork and assessments you completed prior to meeting with me. Typically, your first session will follow this loose structure:
Introductions and brief check-in about starting therapy.
Review of important paperwork (e.g., informed consent, emergency contact information, telehealth consent form, good faith estimate, etc.) and other integral policies and information (e.g., confidentiality, communication policies, etc.).
We will spend a majority of time reviewing your reasons for starting or returning to therapy and relevant background information related to these reasons. During this time, I am an active participant and will be asking clarifying questions and making reflection statement to ensure understanding. Please be prepared to discuss your personal history, current concerns, symptoms, goals, and any relevant events that led you to seek therapy.
We will also review the brief assessment measures that you completed and discuss ways that it may be beneficial to track those symptoms regularly throughout therapy.
Throughout session, I encourage you to ask questions whenever they arise. I believe that therapy is most effective when the process is collaborative, fluid, and educational.
Last but not least, we will spend a couple minutes coordinating future sessions and schedule to ensure that we have regular meetings set up. This is a great time to ask any follow up questions.
**Please be aware that a formal intake process usually takes between 1 to 3 sessions to ensure a comprehensive understanding of your needs. After the intake is concluded, I will review potential diagnoses, develop a treatment plan tailored to your specific situation, and discuss the anticipated duration of therapy with you.**
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
