Starting Therapy: What to Expect in Your First Session

Beginning your therapy journey can feel daunting, even a bit scary, and this is completely natural. Whether you might be returning to therapy after a break, or are completely new, the first session is a space for both to explore what brings you to therapy, and begin to build professional rapport. 

 A Space to Meet: You and Me

Your first session is largely an introduction, both to me as your therapist and to yourself, in a new therapeutic space. You’ll have the chance to share what’s going on for you, what led you to seek therapy, and any goals you may have or topics you want to explore. There’s no pressure to have it all figured out, you can just come as you are.

I’ll also share a bit about how I work, my therapeutic approach, and answer any questions you might have.

What’s the Difference Between the Introductory Call and the First Session?

Before your first full therapy session, you may have had a 15-minute introductory call, this is simply a brief opportunity to ask initial questions, get a feel for how I work, and see whether you’d like to move forward. It’s not a therapeutic session in itself and is free. No deep exploration takes place, it’s more like a soft landing into the process.
The first session, however, is where the therapeutic work gently begins: we explore your reasons for seeking therapy, go through the working agreement, and begin shaping your path forward.

The Working Agreement

We’ll go through the Client–Therapist Working Agreement, which outlines the structure of therapy, the price of sessions, confidentiality, how we communicate, boundaries, cancellation policy, and other key aspects of the therapeutic relationship. If anything is unclear or doesn’t feel right, we can talk it through, nothing is set in stone until it makes sense for you.

Once we’re both happy with the agreement, and it’s signed, we can begin discussing what the next few sessions may look like.

You’re in the Driver’s Seat

My approach is collaborative, but you’re always in the driver’s seat. You will never be pressured to talk about anything you're not ready to explore. We’ll go at your pace. 

If you’re used to therapy, you might notice similarities or differences in how I work, and we can talk about that too. Therapy is a shared process, and open conversations about your needs and expectations are very much welcomed at any stage during therapy.

If It Doesn’t Feel Right

It’s also completely okay if, after our first session, you feel we’re not the right match. That happens, and it’s no problem at all. I can offer referrals to other therapists if you’d like, or you're free to continue the search on your own. If something doesn’t feel quite aligned, we can talk about it — sometimes small adjustments can make a big difference.

Final Thoughts

Beginning therapy is a brave step when it comes to your mental health, especially that first session. Know that you’ll be met with compassion, patience, and respect, wherever you’re starting from.

If you have questions before booking your first session, feel free to get in touch.