The First Appointment

So, having scheduled your first appointment, you may experience some nervousness. Most people feel nervous because they don't know what to expect and because they are entering into a process that will be challenging. It takes more courage to engage in psychotherapy than to remain inactive. The courage required to look at yourself and to open yourself to a therapist will be well worth the time, effort and money.

Here are some of the mechanics of the first few sessions. Hopefully, this will allay some of the jitters.

The Paperwork

When you arrive for the first appointment, make yourself comfortable in the waiting room until the therapist introduces themselves. You will be asked to complete and sign some paperwork. The first section is the Client Information which includes name, address, and billing information. You will also be asked to sign a section of this form which outlines our understanding of therapy's guidelines. This explains issues like confidentiality, billing, insurance, and termination of treatment. We call this the Consent For Treatment. Thirdly, we also must present you with the Privacy Notice as stipulated by HIPAA. Go to our forms sites.

The First Session

After the therapist answers any of your questions about the paperwork, you will begin giving some background about what brings you into counseling. The therapist will do their best to understand your concern. If there is time in this session, the therapist will want to get some other background information in order to get a broader picture of you and your life. By the end of the session, we will want to make sure we understand your concern, make sure your problem is within our area of specialty and that you are feeling comfortable with the therapist. You will then discuss what the next step will be. Most sessions are then scheduled on a weekly basis.