“All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision. But as that decision is repeated, a habit sprouts and grows stronger.”
Your first session is usually a culmination of months, sometimes years of gathering resolve and strength to start this journey of healing. It is possible that you have been to several therapists before but it just didn’t seem right or you had a great therapist that is not available to you anymore and you are ready to resume therapy with someone new. Or this is your first time in therapy.
Whatever your history or equation with therapy, you are here now! You are probably nervous, a part of you doesn’t know where to begin, what to say, there is so much that cannot be captured in words. There maybe a part of you that is hoping to be liked by your therapist and wondering how best to present yourself. Another that wants to run away from it all! All these are perfectly normal concerns. I know I had some of these concerns when I first went to therapy.
Your therapist has been trained to ensure that you are put at ease. As you begin engaging with the process the ease, trust and sense of safety should only grow.
The first session usually is an opportunity for your therapist to-
- Get to know you
- Gather your history
- Understand your needs
- Get a sense of the type of therapeutic goals you might have for yourself
Remember you set the pace and direction of therapy. This is your space to just be who you really are, including be unsure of what that is!