What to Expect From an Initial Consultation

Your therapist may offer an Initial Consultation, which is an opportunity for you and your therapist to decide if their style of talking therapy is right for you.

The relationship between you and your therapist is one of the most important features of therapy. It is important that you feel comfortable enough to begin working together. It is equally important to talk about any doubts you may have as these can be a starting point in the process of therapy itself. The initial therapy consultation is sometimes continued over two or more sessions in order to allow time to explore why you are considering therapy and also discuss any mixed feelings about the process.

During the initial therapy consultation, you are likely to be asked some questions in order for some background information to be gathered, and this is the time for you to ask questions of your therapist as well. If you do not wish to proceed, your therapist will endeavour to provide you with ideas for alternative provision.

If you do decide to begin ongoing work, then a time and day will be discussed for you to begin regular 50-minute weekly sessions. In some cases, more than one session per week may be recommended. It is a good idea to commit to six sessions in the first instance in order to get an impression of how your therapist works and how you might work together.