Starting Counseling

Starting something new is almost always difficult for us humans. This blog post explores things to consider if you’re thinking about starting counseling and what you can expect in the first few sessions.

Things to Consider If You’re Thinking About Starting Counseling

What is leading me to consider counseling?

Take a moment to notice what you’re hoping will be different. If you could magically shift your life, what would change?

You might be:

• wanting to process recent or past traumatic experiences

• noticing patterns that affect your relationships, work, sleep, or daily functioning

• hoping to better manage anxiety or depression

• trying to make sense of your thoughts, feelings, or behaviors

Clarifying what brings you to counseling can help you identify your goals and decide whether counseling feels like the right next step.

Why now?

Ask yourself why counseling is on your mind at this particular time.

• Has there been a recent event or change?

• Is this something you’ve been considering for a long time?

• Are you feeling worn down by “just pushing through”?

Reflecting on “why now” can help you see what you’re ready to address and whether this feels like the right moment to seek support.

What to Expect in the First Few Sessions

Every counselor works a bit differently, but here is what you can generally expect with me during the intake process and early sessions.

1. Intake paperwork and assessments

Before we meet, you’ll complete intake forms online. These include practice policies and initial questionnaires about areas such as:

• current symptoms

• medication and physical health history

• mental health and substance use history

• family and social history

In our first session, we review this information together. This gives you a chance to ask questions and make sure everything feels accurate and understood.

2. Talking about what brings you to counseling

We’ll spend time exploring the concerns that led you to seek therapy and the context around them. I want to understand what your day‑to‑day life looks like, what feels most painful or stuck, and what you hope might be different. This helps us begin to define your goals together.

3. Exploring your history and context

We’ll also talk about your past experiences, family of origin, important life events, and cultural background. This helps me understand you as a unique person and consider which approaches may be most helpful. People come with different stories, strengths, and identities, and treatment should reflect that.

4. Collaborative treatment planning

Based on what you share and what we notice together, we’ll create a plan for our work. This might include specific goals, possible approaches, and how often we’ll meet. The plan is flexible and can be adjusted as we learn more about what is most helpful for you.

5. Beginning the work

Once we agree on a direction, we begin. Depending on your needs, this may involve EMDR, CPT, Guided Imagery and Music (GIM), or a less structured form of talk therapy. Whatever the modality, the focus is on supporting you in moving from where you are now toward where you’d like to be.

In Closing

Counseling is a professional, collaborative relationship that supports people in working toward mental health and wellness goals. If you’re considering counseling, it can be helpful to reflect on what is leading you to seek support and why now feels like the time.

If you’d like to learn more about how I work or explore whether we might be a good fit, you’re welcome to visit the rest of this site or reach out to schedule a consultation.