What to Expect during Your First Therapy Visit

Once you enter our relaxing, tastefully decorated, safe and secure office suite, you will be greeted by our office manager at the front desk. Your therapist will meet you in the reception area, then take you to his/her comfortably decorated, secure, private office where anything can be discussed. Prior to entering into a therapeutic relationship, your therapist will need to devote a few minutes to nuts-and-bolts items such as confidentiality; disclosure and consent.

Then your therapist will ask you to talk about your concerns and goals and you can share your story of what brings you in. During couples and family counselling sessions, each person will be offered the opportunity to share his or her own perceptions of various situations or events.  You and your therapist will talk about your expectations and any reservations you might have.

Your therapist will have any number of questions, to get some of the starter information he or she will need. For instance, your therapist may want to know about your background and current circumstances, your strengths and the obstacles you face. Your therapist will ask about alcohol/drug use and  may have you list the symptoms and problems you encounter. Your therapist will want to know about medications you are taking, take questions you might have about psychoactive medications, and whether it’s mutually agreeable to coordinate care with your physician or another professional. In the latter situation, your therapist requires both oral and written consent from you by signing an Authorization for Release of Information form.

During the first visit, your therapist will also be interested to know about your thoughts on what kind of therapy you think is most helpful. For instance, directive and concrete, or something of an unfolding process of exploration.  Your therapist will want to give time to all the initial questions you may have.

You and your therapist will start to formulate goals for therapy, so that all parties involved are in agreement on what the milestones will be as well as how to recognize when you are “there”.  Your therapist should also have a rough idea about how long the process will take so that you know what you are getting into.

It’s our hope that when it’s time to wrap up, you will be feeling that you have just talked with someone who seems able to keenly understand what you experience, and who can begin to shed new light on how you become stymied and what you can do about it. If you choose to return for further sessions with your therapist, then you will likely get started on your goals for therapy. A mutually-agreeable treatment plan will be made during the first visit or soon after.