First session: What to expect
So you recognised that you need more help, and have considered working with a psychologist through counselling. GREAT!! You’ve done your research, dedicated time to contact a psychologist and booked the first appointment. Now what?
You can read more about taking the first step here.
Let’s be honest. A psychologist’s job is still very much taboo. This is inevitable since we cannot talk about what happens in our sessions, and can only give a general idea of how we work. I will not overlook that this is an unfamiliar process for most people.
Unfamiliar = Unknown = Scary
So let’s break that scary idea of the first session, make it more familiar, and hopefully help you feel more comfortable while preparing to enter your first step toward therapy!
What does therapy mean? Read about it here.
As for myself, I most usually have my first session with the parents. Like many colleagues, I call this an “intake session”. What this means, is that during this session you will discuss with me what your concerns are, if you have any specific questions for me (get some ideas here and here) and then I will explain how I understand the problem you are facing, and how I plan to help you. This can include explaining the approach I will use in my work with you (you can read about some therapy models like CBT here, here, and about ACT here).
In our first session, we will also discuss confidentiality. Confidentiality is that we as psychologists are legally bound to keep with all our clients. It refers to everything we have seen, heard, or understood about people during our work together. Any information you choose to share with me will not be shared with others and kept strictly between us. The only times when I have to break our confidentiality is if you or your child are hurt by others, you or your child are hurting others, or you (or your child) are hurting yourselves. In making sure that we are all kept safe during our work together, confidentiality may sometimes need to be broken. Before this, I will discuss it with you of course.
Your individual folder is prepared for you and handed to you at our first session.
At our first session, you will also be handed an individualised folder with some important documents for you. This includes some information about myself, a client contract (including details about our work, frequency and cost of our sessions, cancellation policy, confidentiality and consent details). The folder also includes some useful documents for your family, including tips in handling a child with anxiety or anger, details explaining the model we will be following, and any additional questionnaires that may be needed. I also always include a mindfulness drawing for you to colour during any times of overwhelm or need to ease your mind.
In preparing for our first session, I will also send you an intake form and questionnaires to fill out. The intake form will ask for your contact details and some history of the family (whether the child has worked with a psychologist in the past, any medication use, your concerns, aims and questions for working together. Many parents may feel overwhelmed at our first session and forget to share some important details. Having this completed before our session at the comfort of your home will help us dig deeper into your problems and create more effective plan moving forward. The questionnaires I send refer to the rating of the problem you are seeking to solve (anxiety, anger, bullying, hyperactivity, thought patterns). This will help in creating a more individualised plan for your child.
I hope this was helpful in clearing a few things for the first session for you! Feel free to comment or email with any additional information you need, and I’d love to write more about it!