Patient Information

If you are new to therapy, you might be wondering exactly what to expect when meeting with a mental health provider for the first time. Every therapist conducts their sessions a little differently, but there are some commonalities, especially for first appointments (also called intake sessions).

Checking In

The first moments of your arrival may be very similar to that of any other healthcare appointment. You’ll check in with the office staff, complete initial paperwork, and wait for your therapist to bring you back for your session. It’s normal to be a bit anxious about your first session, especially if this is your first time seeing a mental health provider. Most people enter therapy because they want to face their problems—thinking about sharing things you’d rather avoid can be scary. Give yourself credit for getting this far!

Meeting With Your Therapist

At your first session, you and your therapist will talk about what's going on in your life that made you decide to seek counseling. You'll spend some time getting to know each other, talking about what is going on with you, setting therapy goals, and coming up with an overall plan for what you want to accomplish and how long and often you'll come in.

Your therapist will also give you a clear explanation of what you can expect from therapy—the things you'll work on together, the types of assignments you might complete at home, etc.

You and your therapist will determine the best plan for continued care and schedule additional appointments as appropriate.