The Process of Starting Therapy

In this blog post, I will walk you through the process of starting therapy.

Finding a therapist Finding a therapist can be a difficult task. Resources you can use, to filter therapists by type

of therapy, location and modality can be the Counselling directory or the BACP website. These are regulated websites where trained therapists are able to advertise themselves and their services.

Initial Meeting Once you find a therapist that you like, you might have a chance to meet with them for free. These can be called initial meetings or intake assessments. Many therapists offer them and it’s great opportunity to meet your therapist and ask them any questions you may have.

Topics you may cover:

·      Questions about the therapist and their training

·      What therapy looks like with this therapist

·      The reason you are looking for therapy

·      How this therapist may be able to support you

·      Session rates

·      Modes of meeting (online/in-person/phone)

Therapy Contract

Following your initial meeting, many therapists will send you a contract which tells you about what you might expect when you’re working with them. This will usually be an outline of your right to confidentiality, information about how you meet (online/in-person/phone/etc.) and payment details. This should usually be completed before your first appointment and often a therapist may ask for a first appointment to be paid in advance.

First Session

Soon, you’ll have your first session. First therapy appointments can sometimes feel a bit awkward. Much of the appointment will be about getting to know you and what brings you to therapy. Towards the end of the session, and depending on the type of therapy, together, you will start to formulate goals or indications of what you might want to get out of therapy.

It's common that after your first therapy sessions you may feel a little worse because when you first start therapy things that you may have not spoken about before, or that are difficult to speak about come out. Bear in mind, it’s normal to feel a bit worst before feeling better.