What to Expect

Meeting a therapist for the first time can feel daunting, but there’s no reason to be intimidated! I’m here to demystify the process and let you know exactly what to expect.

Before Session 1: After you and I complete our 15-minute consultation and have decided working together would be a good fit, we will schedule an appointment and you will receive an email to register on a secure client portal. Here you will find important documents to be reviewed and signed before our initial intake session, including a consent form, which reviews my practice policies and our therapy agreement. You will also be asked to complete a client intake questionnaire, which will ask you brief questions about your history and current concerns. These documents must be signed and completed before we begin our first session.

During Session 1: During Session 1, also known as your initial intake session, we will review any questions you have regarding any of the important documents you were asked to sign. Then, together we will review the client intake questionnaire you completed and spend time talking more broadly about how you’ve been feeling and what brings you to therapy. The focus here is on me getting to know you and you getting to know me. During this session we will also make sure to begin outlining your personal goals for therapy.

After Session 1: I encourage my clients to carve out time for self-care (always! but especially) after our first session. I will specifically ask you what you plan to do to practice self-compassion and decompress in any way you need. Self-care will look different for everyone, but being kind and gentle with yourself is very important after beginning therapy.

Session 2: The work begins! Just kidding, the work already started with you making your initial phone call to me! During Session 2 we will continue to discuss your personal goals and solidify the path to reach them.

I hope this clarifies what you can expect from me as we begin working together in therapy. Of course, each session will be individually tailored to you and the structure of your therapy plan will be unique.