Starting therapy may feel exciting, hopeful, unfamiliar, and even a little nerve-wracking. All of these feelings are completely normal. Your first session is simply an opportunity for you and your therapist to get to know each other. We’ll chat about what brings you to therapy and work together on mapping out your goals. 

Your therapist may ask questions about:

- Your current concerns or challenges

- Your personal, family, or work/school life

- Your mental health history

- Important life events

- Important relationships in your life

As in every stage of therapy, you are invited to share at your own pace. Your therapist will also share information with you about their therapeutic style, how sessions work, confidentiality, and any other questions you may have. For children, your therapist may request to meet with just your parents in the first session. 

Sessions are typically about 50-55 minutes long. We recommend meeting with your therapist once a week or every other week – at least in the beginning. Meeting regularly can help with establishing your goals, allowing the therapist to get to know you, and starting forward progress. 

Beyond that, therapy can look very different based on what your goals are. Sessions may focus on building awareness of thoughts/emotions, exploring your values, practicing communication and boundaries, processing trauma, building valuable skills, and any number of other topics. 

Simply put, anyone can benefit from therapy - you don’t have to be in a crisis or have a diagnosis. Therapy can be helpful for anyone who feels stressed, stuck, or simply wants to understand themselves better. Many people seek therapy when they’re dealing with stress, anxiety, relationship challenges, parenting struggles, grief/loss, life transitions, or just the feeling that something is “off” in their lives. 

Others come because they want to grow, build healthier skills, or simply have a safe, nonjudgmental place to talk. If life feels heavy, confusing, or you just want to grow, therapy can be a helpful place to start.