What to Expect in Your First Therapy Session

Not knowing what to expect is one of the biggest reasons people put off booking a first session. Here’s what actually happens, so there are fewer unknowns going in.

Before the session

You’ll usually fill out a short intake form — basic contact information, a bit about what’s bringing you to therapy, and consent forms outlining confidentiality and its limits. This is paperwork, not a test; there’s no wrong way to fill it out.

During the first session

A first session is usually 60 minutes and unhurried. Expect questions about what’s going on for you right now, some background — family, relationships, work, health — and what you’re hoping therapy will help with. You don’t need to have it all figured out; naming that you’re not sure is a completely normal place to start.

What it isn’t

It isn’t a diagnosis handed down in one sitting, and it isn’t advice delivered from a script. A good first session is more like an unusually focused, honest conversation, with someone whose job is to actually listen and start understanding your particular situation.

How to prepare

You don’t need to prepare anything formal. It can help to jot down a few things you want to bring up, in case your mind goes blank once the session starts — that’s common and nothing to worry about.

After the first session

By the end, you and your therapist should have a rough sense of what to focus on and how often to meet. It’s also completely fine to try one session and decide it’s not the right fit — that happens, and it doesn’t mean therapy itself isn’t for you.

My first sessions

Mine run 60 minutes, in English, Spanish, or both. If you’d rather talk before committing to a full session, there’s a free 15-minute consultation first.