Healing through the power of connection.
Starting therapy can be a difficult first step towards health and improvement. Whether this is your first time or your 100th time seeking therapy, we are happy to help you explore your options, in order to help you find the right therapist for your goals and needs. At Relational Psychology Group, Inc. our mission is to connect people to services and providers that work for them, even if that isn’t us! Check out our Providers and the About Us pages for more information.
“Asking for help is always a sign of strength.”
―Michelle Obama”
“Taking even one therapy session is just one step in the right direction to getting help and getting better, so I think it’s great. I love it. - Tyler Posey”
“I think that whether you have a mental health condition or not it’s good to talk to somebody ― especially someone who is a licensed professional.” ―Demi Lovato”
“My brain and my heart are really important to me. I don’t know why I wouldn’t seek help to have those things be as healthy as my teeth.” ―Kerry Washington”
“[Therapy] it gives you another perspective when you are so lost in your own spiral, your own bullshit. It helps. - Jon Hamm”
“Talking to somebody just helped me out a lot. As a man, you get a lot of slack for it…I don’t really subscribe to that. Everyone needs to unpack and talk. - Michael B. Jordan”
What can I expect from therapy?
Many first time therapy seekers are unsure of what to expect and may feel anxious or even fearful of what they think therapy can be like. However, your decision to look into therapy is the most difficult step you will take. Recognizing we could use help from someone else, can be very difficult and vulnerable. Here are some tips about coming to therapy for the first time.
It is totally okay to feel apprehensive about starting therapy.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious, worried, or resistant to coming to therapy for the first time, that is okay! We often fear the unknown and become “comfortable” in our day to day experiences. Even if we recognize that change could be helpful taking that step can feel like a lot. If you’ve called, set up an appointment, and are just waiting for that moment to come; take some deep breaths and remind yourself, you’ve done the hardest part already. You can be proud of that fact and hopefully use that to bring you to session. We usually recommend giving therapy a couple of sessions before deciding if it or your new therapist is right for you (more on that later).
Bring your list of concerns to therapy
Being prepared with your list of concerns, or your reasons for seeking therapy at this time, can help you feel more grounded, in control, and focused in your first therapy session. It will also help your therapist determine some potential things to focus on and what treatment options might be best for you. Therapy should be tailored to your needs and goals for improvement /change, and providing your concerns to your therapist will help them help you, to reach those goals in an efficient way. Therapy should be a collaborative process and having your input is the most valuable part of that process.
Paperwork is a necessary step
In the beginning of therapy there are some necessary “business” tasks that have to be taken care of before you get to your concerns and assess the goodness of fit of your new therapist. We go over things like insurance billing, confidentiality, policies and procedures and any other odds and ends that may be important to establish a professional relationship early on. We don’t our clients to be surprised by anything related to the business end of therapy so we like to give you all that information up front, and allow for opportunities to clarify any questions you might have about these qualities of therapy. Just be aware that you may not get to get to everything you had hoped to in the first session.
Assess your therapist for goodness of fit
Therapy only works well if you feel like you can work with your therapist. You may have a gut instinct reaction (good or bad) about your therapist when you meet them for the first time. Unless you get a real sense that your therapist will do more harm than good, we recommend you give therapy with a new therapist 2-3 sessions before deciding to continue or discontinue working with that professional. Therapists are human too, and sometimes they have an off day, and maybe they will be different/better in session 2. Once you’ve decided to continue or move on to another therapist, it may be helpful to have a check-in conversation with your therapist about your intentions/feelings about how therapy has gone thus far. We do like to hear feedback from our clients, so that we can improve, and work towards meeting your needs as best as we can.
50-ish minutes of “getting to know you”
In the first session you should be able to present your concerns to your therapist, but they will ask you a lot of questions that may or may not be related to why you decided to come to therapy. Therapists work to assess all areas of your functioning in the initial session so we ask about things like symptoms, alcohol and drug use, work, school, friends and family, sex, suicide, etc. It helps if you answer honestly, although it may be uncomfortable. Remember that your therapist is there to help, not pass judgement on you. You can also let your therapist know if you are uncomfortable answering certain questions in the initial session.
Leave with a plan
At the end of your first session, your therapist should give you a sense of what the next steps can be for you and your treatment. You should feel like you are helping to create that plan with your therapist, but it is okay to trust them, as a professional, to know what steps could be the most helpful for you. Your therapist may recommend some tips and tricks to try prior to your next session, in order to address some of your symptoms/concerns asap.