Starting Therapy – What happens in the first face to face therapy session?

Are you feeling a bit out of sorts but not sure why or how to feel better?

If you are finding things a bit of a struggle at the moment, you might have thought about talking to someone other than your friends and family and starting therapy. This is a big decision if you have never tried therapy before and it is easy to talk yourself out of giving it a go because you have no idea what to expect.
Some people think that therapy is only for people who have mental health problems or are depressed. Maybe your not depressed but…

What actually happens at the first therapy session? I’ll tell you.

So, to help you feel more at ease, I’ve written this blog to explain how our first session will work and what will happen. From the practicalities of where it will be, to things we might talk about. When we meet, any other questions you might have, we can talk about during the session.

What happens when I first arrive for my therapy session?

Let’s start with some practical things. I do my face-to-face therapy from my centre, Blend based in Sale. The space is lovely, calm and inviting and I created all the rooms to give you a feeling of being welcome and comfortable from the moment you arrive.
When you arrive at the centre, I will be there to meet you and show you to the room where we will be working. You can bring a drink with you, or I always offer a glass of water before we begin.

What is covered in the first therapy session?

The first session is about getting to know each other. We have not met before and like any other encounter with someone new, it can be a little anxiety provoking (for both of us) and it takes a little time to settle.
A thought I used to have about therapy before I had ever experienced it, was the image of someone sitting with a stern look on their face, with a clipboard, working their way through a whole load of questions and analysing me as they went – I imagined it to be intimidating and scary. It wasn’t like this, by the way! But this might be your image too.
During our first session, is probably the only session I write things down. I find that it gets in the way of communication to be writing as you speak – I prefer to be listening to you and giving you my full attention. However, there are a few things I write which are your personal details, where you live, how to contact you and a brief bit of relevant medical history.
Once I have your personal information, it is all about getting to know you better. To understand what has prompted you to come for therapy now, problems you might be experiencing and how you would like things to change. This can be a huge subject and you might not fully know what it is you are looking for. That’s perfectly normal. Our first session is merely a place to start, get some things off your chest and we can take it from there.
You might find that you lose your train of thought and can’t think of what to say or you might find that all your thoughts come tumbling out. You might cry and feel upset but you might not. You may settle really quickly and feel comfortable sharing or it may take you a little time. All of these are normal and as your therapist, I am here to support you, listen and help you see a way forward. I’m not going to judge you, criticise you or try to ‘fix’ you.

What next?

So, knowing a little of what will happen can ease any anxiety you might have about taking the first step to reaching out for help. Remember, you only ever do the first session once and after that, you will know who I am, you will be familiar with the building and the room and you will have some knowledge about how we are going to work together.
The next step is to contact me to arrange your first session. You can do this my dropping me an email at carol@blendcentre.co.uk.