The therapeutic relationship is one of the most important factors in determining therapeutic outcomes. The first appointment is when the relationship building and laying the foundation begins. This appointment is a combination of learning more about the therapist, the therapist learning more about you, reviewing key privacy policies and establishing therapeutic goals. This is a great time to ask questions of your therapist about their approach, what you can expect, the scheduling process, frequency of appointments etc. If the more administrative elements of the appointment are more brief, you may also begin to explore the mental health concern that brought you to therapy, how long you’ve been impacted by this concern and your therapeutic goals. If time permits, you might briefly be asked about your family history, past and present mental health concerns, current lifestyle, home environment etc. These are just a few standard things that are typically discussed to begin building the rapport and paint a picture of your concern. How the first session unfolds is collaborative and largely dependent on the client’s own comfort and readiness to explore particular issues.
YOUR FIRST SESSION
Before you got here
This can be very difficult time because the prospect of change can be very scary and uncomfortable. We will do all that we can to make it less scary.
