What to expect in your first session
A first therapy session is, more than anything else, a conversation. It's a 50-minute window where you don't have to perform, explain yourself, or get anywhere in particular. Most people arrive with some version of the same worry — I don't know what to say — and almost no one ends the hour feeling that way.
Before the session
We'll send you a short intake form to fill out beforehand. It asks about your history, current concerns, any medications, and what brings you in. It's not a test. Skip anything that feels heavy and you'd rather talk through in person.
You don't need to prepare an agenda. If you have a list of things on your mind, bring it. If you don't, that's just as useful — what comes up unprompted often tells your therapist something important.
The first 50 minutes
The session usually goes something like this:
- Welcome and logistics (5 minutes) — confidentiality, what's on the consent form, how scheduling works.
- What brought you in (20–25 minutes) — your therapist will ask open questions and listen. You can talk in any order. Tangents are fine.
- A little history (10 minutes) — family, relationships, work, health. The goal is context, not a chronological deep dive.
- Goals and fit (10 minutes) — what you'd like to be different, and whether the two of you feel like a workable match.
After the session
It's normal to feel a little tender, a little tired, or surprisingly relieved. Some people sleep deeply that night. Some feel quietly stirred for a few days. All of that is part of the process.
If something didn't sit right — pace, focus, even chemistry — please tell us. Finding the right clinician for you sometimes takes a session or two, and we'd much rather help you land somewhere that fits than have you push through.
The first session isn't a test. It's the start of a relationship.
If anything here resonated, we'd be glad to talk. Booking a consultation is a small step — and a useful one.