Tell your therapist about all your relationships, whether that's your partner, your family, or your friends. Do you feel like you have support at home? Do you feel like you have other people to share your feelings with, or do you have difficulty opening up with others too, not just your therapist?
Before we get going today, let me explain to you a little bit about who I am and what I do. I'm the Behavioral Health Counselor for the clinic and I'm a [discipline can be mentioned here if desired; it may, however, be sufficient simply to be referred to as a counselor or consultant].
Why are you seeking therapy at this time? People go to therapy for a variety of reasons. You'll be asked to explain why you're seeking therapy to give the therapist an idea of your goals.
During your first session, your therapist will ask questions to understand what you're struggling with and what brought you in to see them. You'll likely talk about some of your past (family history, traumatic experiences) and how your symptoms or feelings are manifesting today, and how long they have been showing up.
there is nothing wrong with crying in session so keep expressing your feelings however you need to. This is a safe place to be you. However you best express your genuine emotions as they come up, it is safe here.
To start a conversation, you can talk about your daily activities or a particular day you've had. Share something about your life to establish a connection. You can share whatever is pressing your mind at the moment, even if it is unrelated or seems insignificant.
Your first session will probably involve your therapist asking you a lot of questions about you, how you cope, and your symptoms (it's basically an interview). You may also chat about goals for therapy, expectations, and more.
You can ask anything. If you're curious, there's probably a deeper reason. Therapists do reserve the right to not answer, which goes back to Freud's idea that we should be blank slates. Of course, total objectivity is impossible—you're two people in a relationship.
The number of recommended sessions varies by condition and treatment type, however, the majority of psychotherapy clients report feeling better after 3 months; those with depression and anxiety experience significant improvement after short and longer time frames, 1-2 months & 3-4.
Starting therapy can be especially awkward if you've not been in therapy before. If you feel weird at first when you're talking to your therapist, don't worry. It takes a while to get used to therapy, but you'll eventually get the hang of it.
It is common to have mixed feelings about starting therapy. Our instincts lead us to stay away from uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. Hesitation about beginning therapy may indicate the presence of something very important to understand about ourselves.
You will get the most out of therapy if you are open and honest with your therapist about your feelings. If you feel embarrassed or ashamed, or something is too painful to talk about, don't be afraid to tell your therapist. Slowly, you can work together to get at the issues.
What can I tell my therapist? The short answer is that you can tell your therapist anything – and they hope that you do. It's a good idea to share as much as possible, because that's the only way they can help you.
Therapists usually feel more regret about "more intense crying or more frequent tears or tears that are related to their own situation," says Blume-Marcovici. Another red flag: crying every time you see someone with a particular problem.
None of the ethics boards that regulate mental health professionals specifically prohibit the use of touch or view it as unethical. There are times when your therapist may believe that it's more harmful to you not to initiate a hug. In some cases, nonsexual, therapeutic touch may be beneficial.
Let the client know explicitly that it's okay to cry; there's no need to hold back the tears. If offering a tissue box, it's often useful to say, “Please don't try to hold those tears back. It's absolutely okay to cry as much as you like.”
Talk about things not related to why you're there. Make sexual comments or advances. Touch you inappropriately. Make plans with you outside the session that don't relate to your mental health.