It is important to know that the first session will mostly be information gathering. This will not be a normal therapy session. This session is to gather more information from you, really a sense of who you are (and for you to meet and get a sense of your therapist), provide you an opportunity to elaborate on any of your answers on your intake form. During this session you may often feel the need to focus on the critical aspects that drew you to therapy; but, as urgent as those feel, you probably won’t get the chance to talk about them in depth. Not that we don’t want to hear about the things you’re coming in for because we totally do.
During the initial appointment (assessment) we are also tasked with getting the biggest view of you as possible, to try and pinpoint how to move forward and help you find what works for you. If you come in and talk about your problem before we can fully understand you as a person, we may not be able to provide you the most individualized help. The intake session can feel like a weird encounter. Be sure to provide information about what you feel is very important for us know that way we know that a specific topic is very important to you.
In summary, there are a lot of forms we will have asked you to complete. These forms give us a clear understanding of who you are so we can both make the most informed decisions as possible. You need to carefully read through the informed consent document and decide if there are any release of information forms you would like to fill out. Also, be prepared for more questions and the possibility of a questionnaire. Finally, be prepared to talk about all the forms. The intake session can be quite nerve wracking, but hopefully, you will have a positive experience and you are able to begin your journey towards health!
At your second appointment, we will set personal goals for your therapy experience and then begin working together toward achieving them.