It’s totally normal to be nervous about starting therapy. It can be scary to think of opening up or crying in front of someone new, perhaps fearing that it will be awkward and uncomfortable. The fear around that can feel overwhelming. Going to therapy even when you are nervous is not easy. It may take courage to take those steps. You reading this now shows that you are already stepping in the right direction.

Therapy is a space where you can be yourself and bring up whatever is going on for you, including feeling nervous. I’m committed to finding a way to care for your nervousness and ensure sessions are as comfortable as possible.

We are here if you want to talk about it during a free phone consultation.

Take your time to read through our website. If you sense that we may be a good fit based on what you are reading, you can call us.

During a free phone consultation, you can ask us about how we have helped other people like you before, what a typical session with me is like with us, or any other questions you may have that are specific to you. You’ll also be able to tell us what’s up and we can decide together how your counselor can help.

The first sessions are like an experiment to see how things go. During the sessions, you’ll be able to see how you feel working with your counselor. Our approach is not going to work for everyone. What’s most important to us is that you find someone who you feel is the right fit for you. We can explore that together.

It’s natural to not want to share some of the painful or difficult things we’ve been through. During our sessions, it will always be up to you if you feel ready to talk about something or not. It’s the counselors’ job to give you space to slowly start to work through the tough stuff. Gradually and at a pace that feels comfortable to you, you can share what you feel ready to share.

You can also share with your counselor that you are nervous to open up about something and you can talk about that too. Whenever you have a lot of feelings about something, you are welcome to discuss them in session with us.

If you open up to us, we will not think you are crazy, we will think you are courageous and human. Many of our clients have had the same fear (that people would think they are crazy).

Through our life journeys and working with our clients, we know how ‘normal’ your experience is.

You’re not being dramatic or “too much.” Nothing you can say will cause us to judge you.

We know many of us are overwhelmed, we may have gone through very hard times, we may have normal reactions to abnormally challenging experiences.

Whatever it is you’re going through, we provide a calming space where we respect you and listen with focus and compassion.

You may be concerned that your friends, family, or work colleagues could learn what you have said during therapy. So you should know that unless you are suicidal, harming yourself, or someone else, what you say in sessions stays between you and your counselor.

There is nothing more important than your privacy.

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 your work with your counselor.

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, we want you to know that on average, our new clients start seeing small amounts of growth after the first 3-4 sessions.

By that point, they feel a little more calm and hopeful that healing is possible.

The total duration of therapy varies from client to client. Some of our clients find 6-12 weeks to be enough to resolve immediate challenges. While other clients feel more supported by longer term therapy.

You and your counselor will work together to find the length of time that works for you.

Overall, you can think of the first session as a two-way interview where you and your counselor can ask each other questions so you can begin to know each other. We’ll invite you to share more about yourself and you can also talk about what’s worked or not worked for your mental health in the past.

Some questions that we 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 your counselor questions as well. You might be curious about why your counselor was drawn to counseling or how they helped other clients like you.

The most important part of a first session is that you see if you feel your counselor is a good fit for you. If you feel supported, seen, and at-ease with your counselor, you can discuss if you’d like to meet again.

We’re here to talk during a free phone consultation where you can tell us what’s up and you can decide together how we can help.

Call us today to get your free phone consultation at 956-275-3232.