What to expect when coming to therapy: A guide to getting started

 

Scheduling a therapy appointment is a big deal. As a therapist, I appreciate that it can be anxiety provoking to write that first e-mail, text, or make the phone call. I believe anyone that reaches out to contact me is brave. I am privileged to do my job because I get to hear people’s stories; and our stories are sacred. Here is a brief outline of what you can expect when coming to therapy.

There are a couple ways to get started… You can first e-mail, text, or call and request a 15-minute consultation. The consultation is free and allows you to ask me some questions. I might also ask you some questions about your potential therapy goals. If you don’t want a consult, and would rather just schedule an appointment, then you can e-mail, text, call, or even schedule yourself on my calendar through my webpage www.connectionsofvicksburg.com. After you and I set up the appointment you can take a deep breath. The hard part is over, you did it!

Next, you will come to your first appointment ready to fill out some paperwork. You can download, print, and fill out most of the paper beforehand if you would like – it’s located on the website. If you are paying with insurance, then it is important to bring your insurance card. This appointment is called an intake appointment and is about 53 minutes long. This is the visit where you tell me a little bit about yourself. I will ask questions about your symptoms and history. Here’s an example of a question I might ask, “Tell me what it’s like for you to feel anxiety? Where do you feel it in your body?” You do not have to talk about everything. You and I are building a relationship during this first meeting and like all relationships they take time. After the session, you and I will schedule for a 45-minute session the following week.

The second time you come in for counseling we will create a treatment plan together. The treatment plan will take between 10-15 minutes. It will set goal(s) for counseling and also outline a method of treatment for getting to your goal. Then, we get started working on your goals!

*(this next paragraph is a generalization that describes a trend that is typical with clients that I see, of course everyone is different).
Based on your goals, I may encourage you to come in for counseling on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. Then as you reach goals you can become a maintenance client and schedule as needed!

If you would like to see pictures of the therapy space you can click over to my blog post Office Pics.

If you have questions or feedback, you can leave me a comment below or e-mail me directly. I look forward to hearing from you!