Deciding to start counselling can feel like a big step. You may have been thinking about therapy for months, or perhaps you decided to reach out after a particularly difficult week. Either way, it is completely normal to feel nervous or unsure about what to expect.
You might be wondering:
- What will my therapist ask me?
- Do I have to talk about everything?
- What if I cry?
- What if I do not know what to say?
- Will my therapist judge me?
- What actually happens during a first counselling session?
The good news is that you do not need to have everything figured out before your first appointment. Your first counselling session is generally an opportunity for you and your therapist to get to know one another, talk about what has brought you to therapy, and begin identifying how counselling may be able to help.
What Is a First Therapy Session Like?
Every therapist may structure their first session a little differently, but an initial counselling appointment will often involve getting to know you and understanding what you would like support with. Your therapist may ask about what you have been experiencing, what has been happening in your life, and what you hope to get out of therapy.
You may also talk about areas such as:
- Your current concerns
- Your relationships
- Family
- Work or school
- Your emotional well-being
- Previous counselling or therapy experiences
- Important changes or challenges in your life
- Your goals for counselling
This does not mean you need to tell your entire life story in one hour. Instead, the first session is an opportunity to begin understanding where you are right now and what kind of support may be helpful.
At Journey Psychology, you do not need to arrive with a perfectly organized explanation of what is wrong. Some people know exactly what they want to discuss, while others simply know that they have not been feeling like themselves lately. Both are completely okay places to begin.
What Questions Will My Therapist Ask?
One of the biggest sources of anxiety about a first therapy session is not knowing what you will be asked. There is no universal list of questions that every therapist will use, but your therapist may ask questions such as:
- What brought you to counselling?
- How have you been feeling recently?
- When did you first notice these concerns?
- How are things going at home, work, or school?
- How are your relationships?
- Have you tried counselling or therapy before?
- What would you like to get out of therapy?
- What would feeling better or doing better look like for you?
- How are these concerns affecting your everyday life?
These questions are intended to help your therapist understand your experiences and what you may need from counselling. They are not meant to judge or evaluate you. You also do not need to know exactly how to answer every question.
It is completely okay to say:
“I’m not sure.”
Or:
“I haven’t really thought about that before.”
Your therapist can help guide the conversation.
Do I Have to Talk About Difficult Experiences?
Not necessarily. You are allowed to decide what you feel comfortable sharing and when you want to share it. Some people are ready to talk about difficult or painful experiences during their first session. Others need more time to develop trust and feel comfortable with their therapist before discussing more personal experiences.
Therapy is not about forcing you to share something before you are ready. Building a strong therapeutic relationship takes time, and feeling safe and comfortable with your therapist can be an important part of the counselling process.
If there are things you are not ready to discuss, you can let your therapist know. You can also ask questions about why they are asking something or how the information may be used to support your therapy.
What If I Cry During Therapy?
You might. And that is okay.
People sometimes worry that crying during their first counselling session means they are not handling therapy well. In reality, emotional reactions are a normal part of counselling.
You may feel:
- Sad
- Relieved
- Angry
- Nervous
- Overwhelmed
- Hopeful
- Surprised by what comes up
You do not need to apologize for having an emotional reaction. Your therapist is there to support you through those moments rather than expecting you to keep everything neatly contained. You also do not have to cry for your therapist to understand that something is difficult. Everyone responds to therapy differently.
Is the First Counselling Session Supposed to Fix Anything?
It would be wonderful if one conversation could solve everything, but therapy generally does not work that way. The first counselling session is usually about creating a foundation for the work ahead.
You and your therapist may begin to:
- Identify the concerns bringing you to therapy
- Discuss your goals
- Explore what you have been experiencing
- Identify patterns that may be affecting you
- Consider what you would like to work on
- Discuss possible approaches to treatment
You may leave your first session with a clearer understanding of what you want to work on, but meaningful change usually develops over time. Therapy is a process, and the pace can look different for everyone.
You Are Also Getting to Know Your Therapist
It can be easy to think of the first appointment as a therapist asking you questions.
But counselling is also a relationship. Your first session is an opportunity for you to decide whether the therapist feels like a good fit for you.
You may want to ask questions such as:
- What is your approach to counselling?
- What areas do you specialize in?
- What type of therapy do you use?
- How often do you recommend meeting?
- What does confidentiality look like?
- How do you typically structure sessions?
- How will we know whether therapy is helping?
There are many different approaches to therapy, and therapists have different personalities, backgrounds, and areas of experience. Finding someone you feel comfortable with can be an important part of the counselling process.
What If I Don’t Know Where to Start?
This is one of the most common concerns people have before their first therapy appointment.
The most important thing to remember is:
You can simply say, “I don’t know where to start.”
You do not need to prepare a speech before your appointment.
You do not need to know the exact reason you feel the way you do.
You do not need to organize your experiences into a perfect timeline.
You can even write down a few things beforehand if that makes you feel more comfortable, but there is no requirement to arrive prepared with a list of everything you have ever struggled with.
Your therapist can help guide the conversation. Sometimes the first step is simply talking about what made you decide to reach out now.
How Can I Prepare for My First Counselling Session?
There is no right or wrong way to prepare for therapy. However, a few simple steps may help you feel more comfortable.
Think About What Brought You to Therapy
Consider what has been happening recently and what made you decide that now was the time to seek support. You might ask yourself:
“What has been difficult lately?”
“How is this affecting my everyday life?”
“What would I like to be different?”
You do not need to have clear answers. These questions can simply give you somewhere to begin.
Write Down Any Questions
If you are nervous about your first appointment, you may forget some of the things you wanted to ask. Consider writing down questions about the therapist’s approach, what to expect from sessions, scheduling, or anything else you would like to understand.
Be Honest About What You Need
Your therapist can only work with the information you feel comfortable sharing. You do not need to make your experiences sound better—or worse—than they are. Being open about what you are experiencing can help your therapist understand how best to support you.
What Happens After the First Session?
What happens after your first counselling appointment will depend on your needs and the concerns you would like to address. You and your therapist may decide to continue meeting regularly and develop goals for therapy.
Over time, you may explore patterns in your thoughts, emotions, behaviours, and relationships and work toward meaningful changes. Sometimes the first session may also help you determine that a different type of support or another therapist would be a better fit. That is okay.
Finding the right support is an important part of the process.
Finding the Right Counselling Support
With many mental health services available in Edmonton, Sherwood Park, and surrounding communities, finding the right therapist can take some time.
You may find therapists who specialize in areas such as:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Trauma
- Relationships
- Parenting
- Grief and loss
- Life transitions
- Stress and burnout
- Self-esteem
- Personal growth
Therapists may also use different approaches to counselling. Some use structured, evidence-based approaches, while others may take a more conversational or integrative approach. There is no single type of therapy that works for everyone. What matters is finding support that is appropriate for your needs and a therapist with whom you feel comfortable building a therapeutic relationship.
Counselling in Sherwood Park and Edmonton
If you are looking for counselling in Sherwood Park or Edmonton, Journey Psychology provides psychological and counselling services for individuals, couples, children, teens and families.
Our psychologists and counsellors work with people experiencing a variety of concerns and use different evidence-informed therapeutic approaches based on each person’s needs. If you are unsure whether counselling is right for you, you do not need to have that figured out before reaching out.
An initial appointment can be an opportunity to discuss what you are experiencing, ask questions, and determine what kind of support may be helpful.
Starting Counselling Doesn’t Mean You Have to Have Everything Figured Out
Reaching out for counselling can feel uncomfortable, especially when you do not know what to expect.
You do not need to know exactly what to say.
You do not need to have a clear diagnosis.
You do not need to know which type of therapy you need.
And you certainly do not need to have everything figured out before your first appointment.
You simply need to be willing to start a conversation.
Your first counselling session is an opportunity to talk about what is happening, get to know your therapist, ask questions, and begin exploring what support might look like for you.
If you are considering counselling in Edmonton or Sherwood Park, the team at Journey Psychology is here to help. You can reach out to learn more about our services or book an appointment with one of our team members.
