What To Expect In My First Therapy Session?
Well done on finding out more about therapy!
Going to therapy for the first time, can be a daunting experience. What will they say? What will happen? Do I lie down? Will I cry? Is it horrible if I cry? The list goes on! You’re not alone. It can be nerve-wrecking. And it makes sense that it is, because it involves being vulnerable with a person you don’t quite know.
In this post, we talk through the common components of a first session.
Intake Assessment
In our first session, we do what is called an “intake assessment”. This involves getting an understanding about the following aspects of your life:
What brought you to therapy?
What have you tried to do to address your challenges? What worked, what didn’t?
Mental health history of you and your family.
What your therapy goals are? And what you’d like to start working on first.
Any other important considerations we need to know (e.g., previous trauma and medical conditions)
If you’ve had a long journey with mental health, the intake assessment might need more than just one session. Getting a thorough intake assessment done is goes a long way in helping your therapist understand the nuances of your mental health, formulate what might be going on for you, and developing your treatment plan.
What do I do in my first therapy session?
Showing up is half the battle won. In your first therapy session, it would be ideal to have some ideas on what you’d like to achieve out of this progress. If you’re unsure about your therapeutic goal, discussing that with your therapist is key. Working to clarify it together can also be a therapeutic goal.
In general, there isn’t anything special expected of clients in therapy. Being yourself is more than enough! The most important thing to do is to show up.
I felt uncomfortable after my first therapy session. Why?
“What am I uncomfortable about?” is a great question to start with. Is it something the therapist did or said? Are there any red flags to note? Perhaps it is also an emotional cringe from sharing our inner world with a stranger.
We often think that we should leave therapy feeling better than we did before. Unfortunately, we cannot promise you that all the time. We talk about uncomfortable thoughts and feelings in session, and we explore them. Sometimes, these feelings of discomfort linger after the session.
In fact, after your first session, you may feel a bit of a vulnerability hangover. A vulnerability hangover is the feeling of dread and discomfort at having shared vulnerable parts of ourselves with others. This term was first coined by Bréné Brown. While feelings of discomfort usually signal a need to pull back or withdraw, it is important to remember that sharing your thoughts and feelings authentically is critical to effective therapy. You were doing what you went there to do.
However, sometimes our feelings of discomfort are signalling something to us. If your discomfort stems from something your therapist did or said, it would be important to share that with them the next time you meet (if you’re comfortable). Therapy involves two dynamic humans, and there are bound to be moments of misalignment. It does not always mean that it is a bad fit! Allowing your therapist to know what bothered you is also a part of therapy. It also gives them an opportunity to do things differently and further customise your support.
The power to start again, stop entirely, or change therapist rests with you. The act of engaging with therapy is also an act of self-care. Even when it means pushing past the discomfort and confronting our inner battles.