Overall, you can think of the first session as a structured assessment that helps me get to know you and the challenges that brought you into treatment. I’ll invite you to share more about yourself and we can also talk about what’s worked or not worked for your mental health in the past.

Some questions that I like to ask during a first session include:

What brought you to therapy?
Have you gone to therapy before? How did that go?
What goals would you like to reach by going to therapy?
You can ask me questions as well. You might be curious about anything you feel is relevant to our work together.

The most important part of a first session is that you see if you feel I’m a good fit for you. If you feel affirmed, seen, and heard with me, we can discuss if you’d like to meet again.

What can I expect during the first session?

You might be asking about how long therapy will take because you are currently struggling and want relief fast.

If this is true for you, I want you to know that on average, my new clients start seeing positive effects after the first a few sessions.
By that point, they they feel a little more calm and hopeful that healing is possible

The total duration of therapy varies from client to client. Some of my clients find 8-16 weeks to be enough to resolve immediate challenges. While other clients feel more supported by longer term therapy. People managing long term mental health struggles such as those associated with the symptoms of bipolar disorder often choose regular long term therapy to help manage their symptoms throughout their life.  

We will work together to find the length of time that works for you.

How long will therapy take?

It can be concerning feeling like things you say or do in therapy could "get out." So I want you to know that unless there is an imminent danger to yourself or someone else, everything you share with me is completely confidential

Your privacy and trust are of utmost importance. You can rest assured that you can talk about anything without fear of that information getting out.

If you have specific questions about how confidentiality works, you can ask during your during a free phone consultation or anytime during our work together.

Does what we talk about in therapy remain confidential?

If you open up to me, I will not think you are too sensitive, I will think you are unique and human. Many of my clients have had the same fear (that people would think they are too sensitive). Many people have had their feeling dismissed by care givers and loved ones telling them they are too sensitive. In truth, emotional sensitivity is an asset, you just may not have learned how to harness it as such. 

You're not being dramatic or "too much." Nothing you can say will cause me to judge you.

I know many of us are overwhelmed, we all have our strengths and weaknesses, we may have normal reactions to abnormally challenging experiences.

Whatever it is you're going through, I provide a calming space where I respect you and listen with focus and compassion

I’m scared that if I open up, you will think I’m too sensitive.

If something feels overwhelming or even terrifying to discuss, that's actually very normal. It can often feel difficult to talk about some things. During our sessions, you never have to talk about something you’re not comfortable talking about. We will collaborate on understanding what you feel ready to open up about. Together we will work through the difficult stuff.

You can also share with me that you are nervous to open up about something and we can talk about that too. Whatever is present for you. Whatever you are going through. Bring that to session and we can explore that together.

What if I don't want to talk about something?

Take your time to read through my website. If you sense that I may be a good fit based on what you are reading, you can email me.

During a free phone consultation, you can ask me what a typical session with me is like, anything that would help you decide if we are a good match, or any other questions you may have that are specific-to-you.

You’ll also be able to share what’s going on for you and we can determine how I could best be of service to you.

The first sessions are like an experiment to see how things go. During the sessions, you’ll be able to start seeing what it's like. My approach is not going to work for everyone. What’s most important to me is that you find someone who you feel is the right fit for you. We can explore that together.

How do I know if you are the right therapist for me?