New to Therapy? Here’s What You Can Expect
New to Therapy? Here’s What You Can Expect
New to Therapy? Here’s What You Can Expect
Post Date: April 14, 2025
If you’re considering therapy for the first time, it’s completely normal to feel a mix of curiosity, hope, and maybe even a little nervousness. You’re taking an important step toward improving your mental health and that deserves to be recognized. Whether you’re navigating anxiety, depression, or a major life transition, therapy offers a safe, supportive space to explore your experiences and move toward healing.
Working with me means benefiting from a compassionate, tailored approach centered on your unique needs. Once I receive your request for a consultation. I will confirm via email and add you to my practice calendar. I will call you on the day and time you requested. We start with a 20 minute phone call to assess compatibility regarding scheduling, therapeutic methods, and insurance. If we're a match, we’ll schedule an intake session for a thorough understanding of your life, followed by regular weekly or bi-weekly appointments.
Your first session, often called the intake, is focused on building connection and understanding. I’ll ask questions about your background, what brought you to therapy, and what you'd like to work on. Together, we’ll begin setting goals for our time together.
This is also your chance to ask questions, share any concerns, and get a feel for how therapy works. After the intake, we’ll move into regular sessions, these can be weekly, bi-weekly, or even monthly once your symptoms begin to stabilize. I’ll always work with you to find a schedule that feels supportive and sustainable.
Therapy is a space where we work collaboratively to identify your goals. These may be specific like reducing anxiety or improving relationships or more general, like increasing self-awareness or building coping skills.
Setting clear goals gives our work direction and helps us track your progress. We’ll revisit these goals regularly and adjust them as needed to reflect your growth and changing needs.
Therapy isn’t just about talking it's about working together. I’ll share tools and strategies to help you manage stress, anxiety, or whatever challenges you’re facing, but your participation and feedback are key. We’ll check in regularly to see what’s working and what’s not so we can tailor the process to fit you.
You don’t have to do it alone but your active involvement matters.
It’s completely normal to feel unsure or vulnerable when starting therapy. Talking about personal thoughts and feelings can be challenging, especially in the beginning. But growth often comes with some discomfort, and therapy is a space where you can safely explore those feelings at your own pace. As trust builds, so will your comfort.
Therapy moves at your speed. If something feels overwhelming, we’ll take it slow. If you’re ready to dive in, we’ll go deeper. The process is flexible and responsive to your comfort level, needs, and preferences. You are always in control of your therapy journey.
Some people start to feel relief after just a few sessions, while others may need more time to work through deeper issues. That’s okay. Therapy isn’t a quick fix it’s a process of building insight, skills, and self-compassion over time. Be patient with yourself. Small steps can lead to big changes.
8. Discharge: Goals Achieved
Once your treatment and goals are completed, discharge from therapy is a positive step that reflects your growth and readiness to move forward on your own. Together, we’ll decide when the time feels right, based on the progress you’ve made and your confidence in using the tools you've learned. Before we wrap up, we'll review your coping strategies, talk about any potential challenges, and make sure you have the support or resources you might need moving forward.
Starting therapy is a courageous and empowering decision. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or simply curious about the process, you're already on the right path by exploring support. If you have questions or aren’t sure where to start, I’m here to guide you.
Ready to take the first step?
Click here to schedule your free 20 minute consultation
Let’s work together toward a calmer, more connected version of you.