What will my first therapy session be like?

“What will my first therapy session be like,” is a question that goes through all of our minds if we are new to therapy or if we are simply switching therapists. The answer to that question is not that simple. To answer this question more we need to look more at the uniqueness of each therapist

Every therapist is not the same and there are many different types of therapy.

Let’s go back to the basics of therapy. Generally speaking, people seek out a therapist when they are struggling with a particular problem and want help. Just like a math problem or a cooking recipe, there are many different ways to get to the same results. All this being said, therapy intakes, which are usually done in the first session should have some similarities.

Intakes are done to get biosocial backgrounds of clients. This is when a therapist may ask individuals where they grew up, about family life, their mental health history etc. This is all typically done in the first session. Therapists want to get to know their client, what they are looking for help with and they need to be able to construct an accurate picture of the clients life.

All these details of client history are an important part of the puzzle to help your therapist but the more important part is developing a positive and trusting relationship with your therapist, thus, many therapists may spend the first session developing rapport.

Rapport building can take time in therapy but it is essential that clients trust their therapist and feel comfortable to speak freely.

To recap, every therapists practices differently but for your first therapy session you can mostly likely anticipate your therapist asking you background questions to gather your history and for them to begin to try to develop rapport with you. The rapport building might look as simple as learning what you like to do for fun or self-discloses their favorite tv shows to break the ice!