What to Expect at Your First Appointment

You don’t have to be nervous…

You don’t have to be nervous! Below you will find how a typical therapy session (and making a counseling appointment) works.

First, most of the time when you call us to make your first appointment you will need to leave a message. It’s very unlikely your call will be answered. Typically, therapists are in counseling sessions and not able to answer their phone. Leave your name, and the best way to contact you and a therapist will return your call as soon as possible.

Once your appointment is set, we will ask you to come to your first appointment a few minutes early to make sure your paperwork is all in order. It’s best if you can bring your paperwork filled in already so that we don’t have to use time from your session to get your paperwork in order.

Your new patient paperwork is essential for us to gather information about your medical and mental health history. Giving your therapist time to review your information will help her better understand your individual needs.

Typical sessions last 50 minutes. This is what most insurance companies consider a full therapy session. This also allows us a few minutes in-between clients. Keep in mind, if you show up late to your appointment we will still have to end your counseling session on time so that we can get to our next client.

Your first appointment will be used to get to know you. We will ask you what brought you in to seek counseling, what struggles you may be experiencing. This could include things about your family, marriage, work or school.

You’ll see us taking notes during your session. This helps us track progress and keep on top of all the things we talk about in session.

At the end of each appointment we will discuss goals and you will be given things to work on before your next appointment. We typically schedule your next appointment at the end of your session.

We can provide you with appointment reminders to help you keep track of your therapy sessions.

If you have any further questions, feel free to contact us.