I’m nervous about starting therapy. Is that normal?
When starting therapy, it’s common to feel nervous. It can feel intimidating to sit with someone and talk about how you feel. The fear around that can feel overwhelming. Taking steps to seek help for the challenges we face is a huge step. It takes courage to realize we can’t face our issues alone.
Therapy is a space where you can be yourself and feel safe from judgement, including feeling nervous. I’m committed to finding a way to care for your nervousness and ensure sessions are as comfortable as possible.
I’m here if you want to talk about it during a free phone consultation.
How do I know if you are the right therapist for me?
Take your time to read through my website. If you sense I’m a good fit based on what you are reading, you can contact me and schedule a free phone consultation.
During your free consultation, you can ask me questions about my approach, ask how I work as a therapist, or any other questions you may have that are specific-to-you. You’ll also be able to tell me what’s up and we can decide together how I can help.
I think of the first few times that I meet with someone as a trial run. During the sessions, you’ll be able to see how you feel working with me and I’ll be able to make sure I’m the right fit for you. 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.
What if I don’t want to talk about something?
It’s normal if you don’t feel ready to share everything. During our sessions, I won’t push you to talk about things that are too painful for you to talk about, but I’ll create opportunities for you to be vulnerable in a safe place. We’ll collaborate on understanding what you feel ready to open-up about. Together we’ll 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.
I’m scared that if I open-up, you’ll think I’m crazy.
If you open-up to me, I will not think you are crazy, I’ll think you are unique and human. Many of my clients have had the same fear (that people would think they are crazy).
Through my own life journey and working with my clients, I know how ‘normal’ your experience is.
You have nothing to be ashamed about. Nothing you can say will cause me to judge you.
I know many of us are overwhelmed, we all struggle, we may have normal reactions to abnormally challenging experiences.
Whatever it is you’re going through, I’ll provide a safe space where you can feel heard and supported without judgement
Does what we talk about in therapy remain confidential?
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. There is nothing more important than your privacy and your safety.
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.
How long will therapy take?
You might be asking about how long therapy will take because you think that therapy will be an overwhelming process.
If this is true for you, I want you to know that on average, my new clients start seeing positive effects after the first few 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 my clients find 3 to 6 months to be enough time to gain insight into their challenges. Other clients feel more supported by longer term therapy.
We’ll work together to find the length of time that works for you.
What can I expect during the first session?
Overall, you can think of the first session as a free-flowing conversation through which we start getting to know each other. 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 do I need to know about you to understand your current challenges?
You can ask me questions as well. You might be curious about my experience or how future sessions work.
The most important part of a first session is for us both to see if I’m the best fit for you. If you feel safe, accepted, and comfortable with me, we can discuss if you’d like to meet again.
How can I get started?
I’m here to talk during a free phone consultation where you can tell me what’s up and we can decide together how I can help.
Contact me today to get your free phone consultation.