Here’s how to prep for your first therapy session

CONGRATS, YOU BOOKED YOUR FIRST APPOINTMENT. NOW WHAT?

Going to your first therapy session ever or with a new therapist can be nerve wracking. You’re reading this, so I assume you’re the type of person who likes to be prepared. Hopefully these FAQs will offer some certainty.

What are we going to talk about?

The aim of the first session is to get to know each other a little bit. What are the current issues, how are you coping, what kind of support do you have around you, and how do you want to tackle the current issues.

There are prompts at the end of this guide to help you figure out what you might want to talk about. You don’t have to share the answers with me. Always welcome but never pressured.

Will I be forced to talk about things?

Absofuckinglutely not. Talking about deeply personal issues takes trust. And trust takes time. There’s no expectation to share the gory details. Say as much or as little as you feel comfortable with. We are still complete strangers.

What’s going to happen in the session?

If we are meeting in person, you’ll arrive in the waiting area just before the session and I come out and find you. I’ll offer you water and herbal tea (green, English Breakfast, chai, fruity, lemon ginger, peppermint). We then go to the therapy room together. I might be in an appointment or scoffing down my lunch beforehand, so please don’t come in if the door is shut. It’s not pretty, so I want to spare you the sight.

After initial hellos, we’ll go over the therapy contract and discuss any questions you might have. We’ll do some basic housekeeping and talk about where the toilets, exits, and lifts are. We then go into what’s currently going on, cover some relevant background info, and figure out how we can work together. At the end of the 60 min session, we look at our diaries to book in the next session. Or you just let me know via email if and when you’d like to book a next session.

Then we say goodbye and I kick you out of my office.

If we’re meeting online, click on the zoom link and boom I’ll be there. If we get any connectivity issues, I’ll call you. If there’s any issues, your house is on fire and you’re running late, email me on hello@beyondtraumajersey.co.uk.

I feel nervous!

It’s ok, me too. I talk to strangers for a living and we might have even met before during a consultation call. It’s anxiety provoking stuff: What is the other person like, I hope they like me, what if I say the wrong thing and sound like an idiot. What I’m trying to say is: It’s totally normal to be nervous. We’ll get through this together. The first meeting is always the hardest.

Talking to a stranger about your issues is not an everyday situation but I’m pretty informal and try to make this strange experience as comfortable and low pressure as possible.

I also have a basket of fidget toys, including a whole Lego box, that you are more than welcome to play with. They can be a nice ice breaker, keep anxious hands busy, offer stimming, and break awkward eye contact. They’re also really fun and satisfying.

What if I get lost?

We’re at Bond Street Health, 7 Bond Street, 2nd floor. Allow plenty of time for parking and finding the place. Going to therapy is stressful enough, let’s not make it worse with travel drama. If you’re lost, email me your number and I’ll call you and come find you.

Here are the prompts:

What are the main issues?

What other background info does my therapist need to know to understand and help me?

What does a successful therapy outcome look like?

What bits of info am I happy to share straight away?

What am I not comfortable with sharing (not yet, ever)?

What’s my current understanding of my issues?

• Where / when / how did it start?

• What makes it better / worse?

• What’s the cause?

• What have I tried so far to change things? What worked / didn’t work?

How do you like to work?

• Structured with a fixed agenda, e.g. this week I want to cover XYZ. Topic X will needs lots of time, so let’s so 30 minutes and then 15 min each for Y and Z.

• More freeflowy, e.g. I have a general idea of what I want to cover today. Specific things that happened this week and then let’s jump into our main therapy goal.

A little note from me

I’m excited to start working together. Let’s set some goals and do some healing. You deserve this. Let’s do this!

Take care, Thanh