You’ve decided you want to start getting some mental health counseling. Starting the therapy process can look different from therapist to therapist. But, there are some general steps that will take place at the onset of your therapy journey. Some of these general steps include letting the therapist know what you want help with, scheduling your session, and getting the paperwork and fees settled. Let’s look at each of these parts of an initial therapy session and the start of your therapy journey.

Let the therapist know why you want therapy.

What do you want to accomplish in therapy? What made you consider getting therapy in the first place. Try to share a few of your main reasons with the therapist that you’re most interested in working with. This will give them insight into how they can best help you. It’ll also help them determine they are a good fit for you going forward. In other words, while therapists are generally trained in somewhat the same way, not every therapist specializes or has a scope of practice that will meet your needs. Letting them know your areas of interest for therapist when you first connect is the best first step in your new therapy journey.

Schedule your session.

Contact the therapist you’ve selected when you’re ready to schedule your session. Find out their availability and see what best meets your scheduling needs. Be sure to discuss fees and what to bring to your first session. When you do this, make sure to get the exact address of the office. If you will be meeting virtually or for telehealth services, then make sure you join their client portal. There you will be able to schedule sessions, pay for your therapy, and complete paperwork. This will be discussed more in the following section which covers paperwork.

Complete your therapy paperwork.

Paperwork will completed before or at your first session. If you therapist uses a client portal, the paperwork will ikely be filled out on there. Some exmapes of standard paperwork you will receive when you fill out your therapy forms include:

  • Informed Consent – You are informed of how the therapy process works and agreeing to receive treatment.
  • HIPAA Compliance – You are informed of how your information will and will not be used while you are in treatment
  • Client History – You will provide some of your background information and share more details on what brings you to therapy.
  • Payment Agreements – You will provide information on your therapy session fees and how you will pay for treatment.
  • Others – Each therapist will use forms unique to their practice and specialization.

Do you want more information this process? Are you ready to start your own therapy sessions? Contact me today for a free consultation.

Check out the Getting Started page today for more information.

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