Your first therapy session: what actually happens

The first session is mostly about comfort and context. We begin with a few practical things — confidentiality, how sessions work, and anything you'd like me to know before we start. Then the time is yours: you talk about whatever brought you here, at whatever pace feels right.

You don't need to prepare a story or arrive with a plan. "I'm not sure where to begin" is a perfectly good opening line. I'll ask gentle questions to understand your history, what's been feeling heavy, and what you'd like to be different.

By the end, we sketch a loose direction together — how often to meet, what we'd work on first, and whether I'm the right fit. A good therapeutic fit matters more than any technique, and it's okay to take time to decide.