Questions about starting therapy
Beginning therapy can bring up questions, particularly if you have not done it before or are not quite sure what you need. These are some of the things you might be wondering. You can read whichever are useful and ask me about anything else when we speak.
Do I need to know what I want to work on before I begin?
No. We can begin with what you do know.
You may notice a pattern you want to understand, have a particular situation in mind, or simply know that something doesn’t feel right. What matters may become clearer as we work.
What happens in the first conversation?
You don’t need to prepare or have a clear account of what brings you. It isn’t an assessment. You can tell me what feels important, ask anything you want to know, and get a sense of whether meeting together might feel right.
What happens if we decide to work together?
We can arrange a first 50-minute face-to-face session. Sessions are usually weekly.
The first few sessions give us time to understand more about what has brought you to therapy and what you would like from it. You don’t have to establish a complete set of goals at the beginning; our understanding of what matters may develop as we work.
How will we know whether therapy is helping?
There isn’t one measure that tells us whether therapy is working. What matters will depend partly on what brought you.
We might notice changes in how you understand yourself, what happens in familiar situations, the choices you are able to make, or how you relate to yourself and other people.
I also want us to talk directly about the therapy itself, including when something is helping, when it isn’t, or when something in the way we are working needs to change.
What if something in the therapy doesn’t feel right?
I want you to be able to tell me.
That might be something I’ve said, a way I’ve understood you, something about how we are working, or simply a sense that the therapy isn’t helping.
Sometimes talking about what has happened between us can itself become useful. At other times it may tell us that we need to work differently. I don’t expect you to agree with me or protect me from knowing when something feels wrong.
What if I’m interested but not sure whether I’m ready?
You don’t need to decide in advance that you are definitely going to begin therapy.
The first telephone conversation gives you a chance to ask questions and get a sense of how it feels to speak with me. If you decide not to continue, or want time to think, that’s fine.
Looking for practical details?
Session length, fees, payment, cancellations and location.
If you would like to speak with me, the first step is a free telephone conversation of up to 20 minutes.