Setting up an initial consultation with a new therapist can be scary and intimating. It’s normal to wonder what you might talk about or what you should ask to determine if this is the right therapist for you.
For my consultations, I always want you to leave the meeting knowing at least three things. If you are going to meet a therapist for the first time, keep these in mind and if the therapist doesn’t provide them, make sure you ask.
The Therapist grasps my concerns and can verbalize them.
I make sure to spend time asking a lot of nosy questions to really understand what brought you here in the first place. I also place emphasis on reflecting this back to you, making sure I got it right. This starts us out on the right foot, and leads to the second important piece of the consultation.
The Therapist reflects realistic goals framed around my concerns and individualized to me.
After I’ve done a quick assessment and made sure I understand your concerns, I talk with you about realistic and operational goals that therapy can help with. This could come from a conversation around symptom reduction or future directions you want to move in. Goals can be changed and revised as we work together, but you should know initially what can be accomplished in therapy and roughly how long this will take.
The Therapist explained to me what working with them would be like.
Finally, I spend time explaining what my approach is like, and how that will be individualized to you and your goals. I want you to have a good grasp of what to expect from me, and what kind of work will be expected of you to meet your goals.
There are, of course, more things that are usually covered in a consultation. But these are the most important points to cover so you can decide if a therapist will work for you and help you meet your goals.