My First Therapy Session

“What will I get out of my first therapy session?”

It’s natural to be anxious about a new experience, especially one that often requires openness and vulnerability. The goal at the very beginning of therapy is to create an environment of safety and transparency. Not only will I ask you about what you want to get out of therapy, I will also let you know what you can expect from me, what the process will look like.

The first goal is safety, which means I want you to feel like you can talk about anything. The goal is for you to know that no matter what you’ve gone through, you don’t have to go through it alone. I want to create a space where you know that I will always see you in a positive light, both highlighting your strengths and framing your faults and weaknesses in the context of your experiences, in the context of being human. The same viewpoint will also be shown to anyone else who has a significant impact on your life, which means that if you are upset with a friend or family member, I may occasionally help you to find curiosity or insight on where they might be coming from, what might have happened to them that led them to take the action that hurt you. In this way we can work toward healing and reconnection in your relationships, and helping you to build a strong support network.

The second goal of the first session is to set a direction for our work together. Beyond feeling safe to open up, it’s also important for you to have confidence that change is possible. Some of this confidence will come from me helping you to paint a picture of where you want to go. In this way, you have the opportunity to leave your first session with a sense of hope that change is possible, and the path we’ll be taking in order to get there.