What to Expect During Your First Session with Your Anxiety Therapist
So you’ve asked around and gotten a recommendation from a friend for a therapist to help with your anxiety. You’ve called the office for a consultation and it feels like it might be a good fit. You’re ready to make an appointment, but you’re not sure what to expect during your first session with your anxiety therapist. Let us help you alleviate some of the uncertainty and the anxiety of making that first appointment! First and foremost, it’s important to know that the first session is uncomfortable. It’s almost like a blind date. You don’t know the therapist yet. The therapist doesn’t know you. You’re hoping that it’s a good fit, but are worried that it might not be. You’re not sure what to say, or even what to wear. What questions will the therapist ask?
When you make an appointment at Harper Therapy, you’ll be asked to create an account on our HIPAA secure portal with your contact information. You’ll get an email with our intake paperwork for you to review and sign, and you’ll be able to fill out some information about your history and what brings you in. This will allow us to focus the session time on getting to know one another. On the day of your appointment, we want you to make yourself at home in our reception area, where you can help yourself to coffee, tea, or water. You’ll know you’re in the right place when you see the Harper Therapy sign above the coffee cart! And don’t worry, we’ll come to the reception area to get you at your appointment time.
Therapy dogs Toby and Hobbes will give you a fluffy greeting. Interacting with animals is a great, natural way to help calm any anxiety you might be feeling, and Toby and Hobbes are experts at helping you feel right at home. We’ll make our way to the office, where you can make yourself comfortable wherever you’d like. We’ll review paperwork to make sure you don’t have any questions. Then, we’ll talk about what’s been going on for you that brings you into therapy and get an idea of what goals you have for our time together. This helps us monitor progress toward these goals, so that you’re getting the greatest benefit from therapy.
If you’re not sure what your goals are, then we can talk through some things that might be beneficial to focus on during our time together. Usually, reducing your anxiety symptoms is a good starting goal. Ultimately, it is important to feel like you’re being heard and understood by your therapists. You might not agree with everything your therapist says – therapy can often be an uncomfortable process – but it’s important to us that you feel respected and know that you can speak up about what is helpful and what might not be during your sessions. That way, we can adjust our route to your finding hope, growth, and healing in a way that works best for you!
Get tips for How to Find a Therapist to Help With Your AnxietyContact us to let us know how we can help! Call 813-434-3639 or use the contact form.
