Table of Contents
What do you say in the first session of therapy?
Think about your goals for therapy and share them with your therapist. In your first therapy sessions, you’ll talk about your reasons for coming to therapy. You’ll talk about what’s been going on in your life that is painful, difficult, or at least not working as well as you’d like. What to do when you have nothing to talk about in therapy? You can try talking about things that have happened in your life since your last session. You can also talk about your relationships and any challenges you’re facing.My therapist stated explicitly that if ever I felt the need to spend the session in silence and felt comfortable just being in her presence, that would be fine with her. I sometimes find it difficult to talk but never miss an appointment. She knows I need to be there, sometimes just to have my own space for 50 minutes.If your first few sessions feel awkward, you’re not alone. Starting therapy can be especially awkward if you’ve not been in therapy before. But it’s always pretty awkward regardless. Some of it is that it’s always awkward talking to someone before you get to know them well.
Is the first therapy session hard?
For some people, the first therapy sessions can be the hardest because it’s a brand-new experience, and it can be a little overwhelming. You might start to get anxious in the waiting room and may not know where to start when you get into your session. So when therapy gets difficult, the best thing to do is just accept that it’s happening, take care of yourself as best you can, and keep working through it. These difficult times are temporary. It may feel too hard and too painful to relive a traumatic memory or talk about the things that are hurting you.You can begin seeing subtle signs of therapy working as quickly as your first session. Often, though, it can take at least a few sessions to reap the rewards. Some find that they only need a few months of therapy while others prefer to make therapy an ongoing practice.The hardest part of going to therapy is dealing with the blockages that made you seek therapy. We all go through life with some amount of resistance. Some people you know really flow, they seem to take things as they come. Other people just always seem to struggle.
What should a therapist do in the first session?
Expect the therapist to ask about the specific problem that inspired you to seek therapy, what you hope to achieve over the course of treatment, a brief sketch of your life story, and any experience you’ve had with therapy in the past. Your first session is a chance for you to make sure you feel comfortable with your therapist, and for them to check they have the skills and expertise to support you. It will include introductions, contracting and a chance for you to tell your story and explain the problems you’re experiencing.In therapy, people meet with a therapist to talk and learn ways to work out their problems. At the beginning, the therapist asks questions about your problems. They also ask about other things in your life, such as family, school, and health. They listen to what it’s like for you so they can understand you.In your first therapy sessions, you’ll talk about your reasons for coming to therapy. You’ll talk about what’s been going on in your life that is painful, difficult, or at least not working as well as you’d like. You’ll talk about things you want to change and any goals you might have.During your first appointment, you and your therapist will ask each other questions and sort out the logistics of your treatment plan. During your first session, you’ll also get a sense of your therapist’s style. This first meeting is sometimes known as an “intake session.
What do therapists ask first session?
During the first session, your therapist may ask you: What are your symptoms? What brought you to therapy? What do you feel is wrong in your life? For some people, the first therapy sessions can be the hardest because it’s a brand-new experience, and it can be a little overwhelming. You might start to get anxious in the waiting room and may not know where to start when you get into your session.After an intake appointment with a therapist, you may be excited for your next session, or you may be left feeling drained and unsure. It’s typical to experience a full range of emotional reactions throughout the course of therapy, and the first appointment in particular can be a bit of a rollercoaster.It is completely normal to be nervous or anxious before attending a therapy session, especially your first one.This is often the painful part of the process where clients report feeling worse. But fear not, this phase typically does not last long and it does get better with time. As therapists, we are gentle in our approaches and will regularly check in to monitor your threshold for processing your feelings.
What happens in a first Counselling session?
Your first session is for setting expectations and starting to build trust between you both. Your therapist should clearly explain to you: Their background and qualifications. Which professional body they’re registered with. What am I supposed to talk about in therapy? In therapy, you can talk about yourself, recent or past events, your relationships, feelings, and challenges.Talk therapy should be an open-ended dialogue about any issues or concerns a person is facing. A psychotherapist may take notes while a person shares information about their family life, relationships, childhood experiences, and symptoms or history of a condition, to name a few examples.You’ll be invited to speak openly. The therapist will listen and may take notes as you speak; some, like myself, take notes after a session. You won’t be criticized, interrupted or judged as you speak. Your conversation will be kept in the strictest confidentiality.Your first session will probably involve your therapist asking you a lot of questions about you, how you cope, and your symptoms (it’s basically an interview). You may also chat about goals for therapy, expectations, and more.
How I felt after my first therapy session?
Feeling worse after a therapy session is normal and ok. I felt a lot worse after my first therapy sessions, before I started feeling comfortable and better. I felt weak, severely depressed, vulnerable and ashamed of myself. You Feel Supported By Your Therapist Fort-Martinez says that you know therapy is working if your therapist allows you to begin the process of trusting again—or maybe for the first time. It feels safe, even when you are being challenged,” she says.Therapy can be ongoing Many people continue to stay in therapy for over a year. Some people engage in therapy for many years. Other people go to therapy, leave therapy, and return to therapy at different points all throughout their life.Absolutely not. That’s exactly what therapy is for. Your therapist will be glad to see that you feel safe enough to show how you feel. A good therapist will hold space for you and respond with kindness, empathy, care and sincere interest.
Is it normal to cry your first therapy session?
For many individuals, shedding tears is a natural response to the overwhelming emotions that therapy can unearth. But for others, they may not. The first session they may find themselves holding back a bit. Sometimes a person may find themselves crying at the end of a therapy session. Therapists most often reported feeling sad while crying, and grief was most often the topic of discussion. In 55% of these experiences, therapists thought that clients were aware of the crying, and those therapists who discussed their crying with their clients reported improved rapport as a result of the crying.If you are crying a little bit, you might continue to talk and your therapist will ask you things like if you’re okay, if you feel safe, etc. If you are crying a lot, obviously you will take a break from the session and calm down, drink some water, and breathe for a few minutes.For many individuals, shedding tears is a natural response to the overwhelming emotions that therapy can unearth. But for others, they may not. The first session they may find themselves holding back a bit. Sometimes a person may find themselves crying at the end of a therapy session.
How long is the first therapy session?
They may also share information about how they run their sessions — such as how long they’ll be, typically 50, 60, or 75 minutes — how often they like to see patients, and their fee structure. They might also discuss your rights as a patient. Therapy can last anywhere from one session to several months or even years. It all depends on what you want and need. Some people come to therapy with a very specific problem they need to solve and might find that one or two sessions is sufficient.The duration of therapy can vary depending on the severity of your anxiety. If you have mild anxiety then 8-12 sessions may be effective as you learn coping skills and develop strategies to manage anxious thoughts and feelings. Patients with moderate anxiety may need 15 to 20 sessions to see lasting improvement.If you’re going for individual counseling, then your session will last approximately 50-55 minutes. This 50-55 minutes is referred to as a therapeutic hour. This is standard practice, although some clinicians will offer 45-minute sessions or 60-minute sessions.Most clinicians agree that attending therapy sessions once a week represents the minimum level of immersion to see long term effects. The reason is simple: therapy is a practice.
How do you know therapy is working?
One of the first ways you might notice you’re changing from therapy is that you start to loosen up a bit. You’re more willing to do frivolous things. You’re less self-conscious about doing them with or in front of other people. You also start feeling less guilty about doing the things that fill your own well. It is actually normal to occasionally feel bad or worse after therapy, especially during the beginning of your work with a therapist. It can be a sign of progress.Honesty is key. It’s okay to say exactly how you feel, whether that’s “good,” “not so great,” “confused,” or even “I’m not sure. Your therapist is there to help you navigate and understand your feelings, so being genuine about them is crucial for the process.Talk to Your Therapist They may recommend a new approach, more time in therapy, a different type of therapy, or a different therapist. If you don’t trust your therapist enough to be vulnerable and speak up when something isn’t working, then you should consider seeking a new therapist on your own.
How do I approach a therapist for the first time?
There is no need to go into any great detail about what brings you to therapy. This can be discussed in the actual therapy sessions. If you have an idea of what you would like to work on in therapy, be super clear with the therapist, either in the first contact email, phone call, or first session. In short, yes, you should tell your therapist everything. Transparency in therapy can support you in meeting your clinical goals. After all, therapy is a large investment of money and time.Explain a bit about who you are, why you’re looking for their help, and the goals you’d like to reach. This gives your therapist a chance to understand you. It starts to form your relationship before you meet. It can also be helpful to keep a therapy journal.But if you’re looking for the most important question in therapy, in my view, it’s this: “What do you want? What do you want? What are you wanting to be different? What are you wanting to change?First, feeling like you’ve disclosed too much in therapy is actually pretty common. Second, disclosing revealing information is often a good thing. As psychologist and professor Thomas G. Plante, PhD, notes, “Therapists can’t really help people unless they know what is troubling the person they are trying to help.