What happens in the first counselling session?

If you’re thinking about starting counselling but unsure of what to expect, hopefully this will answer some of your questions and make the process of reaching out feel a little easier. If you have any more questions, you’re very welcome to include them in your initial enquiry or we can discuss them in your intro call.

You might be wondering what you’ll be asked in the first session or feeling unsure about what we’ll talk about. The good news is, there’s no right or wrong way to approach your first session but here are some things you could expect.

Before your first counselling session: 

We’ll have an intro call where we’ll briefly discuss the things you’re hoping to explore in counselling. I’ll also explain a bit about how I work and we’ll talk through any questions you might have. We usually try to book your first session within a week or two of the intro call.

Getting comfortable:

Whether online or in person, it’s important that you feel comfortable in the session. You’re welcome to put the kettle on beforehand and get comfy. If in person, I’ll pop down to the waiting area to get you at the time of your session. If online, we’ll both join the link for the start time. I also recommend scheduling yourself a bit of time after the session to decompress. You might choose to sit for 10 minutes, go for a walk or a drive, whatever feels right for you.

What happens in your first counselling session:

You decide where we start and I’ll be led by you. We take everything at your pace. It’s likely that the first session will build on the brief talk we had during your intro call. We’ll start to talk in more detail about the things that have brought you to counselling and how they’re impacting you. I’ll listen carefully to what you’re sharing with me and reflect back what I’m hearing to check that I’m understanding you. I’ll also ask questions to get to know more about you and your life. I might also begin to share some insights or offer things that could support you, if that feels helpful at this stage.

And then:

Together, we’ll begin to build an understanding of the things that you’d like to focus on and the approach that is going to help you most. About 10 minutes before the end, I’ll check in with how you’ve found the first session. Most people say how quickly the first hour flies by! 

Then, we’ll make a plan for moving forward: Sessions are usually weekly or fortnightly. We’ll have already talked about schedules during your intro call so at this stage, we’re just checking that it still feels like the right fit and agreeing to protect that time for you.

We’ll then continue with your regular sessions for as long as is helpful for you. I regularly check in with you during sessions to keep open communication about how you’re finding the counselling process and for how long you’d like to keep working together.