Tips For Your First Therapy Session As A Therapist

Your training is complete. Years of formal education, supervision, and academic preparations are finally over. You’re about to enter the world as a full-fledged therapist with your psychological toolbox.

But are you truly ready?

Can you better prepare for the person about to sit with you alongside their troubles, hopes, and vulnerabilities?

And why is it essential to prepare for your first session as a therapist?

Your professional role as a therapist carries great responsibility and the potential to impact lives profoundly. This may seem daunting. But every other mental health professional has been in your shoes. To move from student to therapist is an unavoidable right of passage.

The good news is that a bit of considered preparation can make this transition less difficult. You can more easily establish a successful therapeutic relationship by readying yourself. This will calm jitters, provide a road map, keep the conversation on track, ensure that key points are addressed, and provide a sense of direction during the session.

When you’re well-prepared, you position yourself as the expert and enhance the therapeutic experience for the client, leading to a meaningful outcome.

But what does preparation look like? What can you do? What steps can you take?

How do you prepare for your first session?

Your first session is coming up. How do you prepare?

Let’s look at several helpful tips…

First, breathe

Being present is as crucial in the private practice of therapy as it is in life. It’s tricky when you’re nervous or stepping into something new. Before you stride into your first session as a therapist, breathe. Take a few moments to settle into your body and calm your mind.

Set the groundwork

• Before entering the consultation room, familiarize yourself with your client’s information and history.
• Review the information you have before your first counseling session. (More on this in a moment)
• Depending on the presenting issue, this provides preparation time. If you’re not an expert in your client’s presenting problem, research the topic before the consultation.
• Get any missing information and forms ready to complete.
• Create a basic session plan based on what you know.

Consider the client information and history provided

As mentioned, familiarize yourself with your client’s information and history before entering the consultation waiting room.

Review documentation – Referral notes, intake paperwork, forms, informed consent forms, or other material. This review should include notes from the initial phone screening, providing a comprehensive understanding of the client’s needs before the first session. Before you begin, you’ll have a deeper understanding and a virtual compass to guide the therapeutic journey.

This point brings in the power of digital intake forms. These forms are a fantastic tool for collecting comprehensive client data in a structured and organized manner — reducing errors and oversights. These forms provide accurate insight into the client’s background and needs, streamlining the therapeutic process.

Because the client should complete these forms before seeing you, you should have time to get to know them and the topics that matter most rather than playing catch-up in the consultation. You’ll also have a holistic view of your client before the first session begins.

Online forms also establish a professional persona, presenting you as a practitioner who has embraced technology. Clients may feel more considered and guided through this process, boosting their confidence in your abilities. This can enhance the therapeutic relationship.

These factors — your insight, professionalism, and processes — can ease your first session as a therapist because your client will feel that you’re in control and that you know what you’re doing.

Note: Online forms must be delivered and accepted through a platform that adheres to HIPAA compliance.

Create a comfortable space

A client’s initial impression is impactful. Welcoming your first client into a calm, soothing environment instantly builds rapport and trust. A tranquil space is good for you as well!

So, how can you create a comfortable space?

Let’s summarize the advice we share in greater detail in two articles.

Create a calming atmosphere with soothing colors and considered lighting.

Incorporating the right colors and lighting creates a soothing atmosphere that adds to the therapeutic experience.

Bring nature indoors with plants or nature-themed artwork

Plants are excellent balm for the health of our minds. The benefits include stress reduction, enhanced attentional capacity, elevated creativity, and clarity of thought. We feel better about the world when we’re immersed in green space.

Take advantage of this fact by bringing the outdoors indoors. Indoor plants, vertical gardens, terrariums, pot plants, hanging foliage, or even a painted green wall can lower stress and help your first session as a therapist be a calm and positive experience.

Feature meaningful objects

A sterile environment creates an immediate block to successful therapy together. Integrating some well-chosen personal touches can promote a sense of connection and avoid this unproductive obstacle.

Arrange furniture for comfortable and open conversation

A physical space promotes connection or disconnection. Positioning your furniture to be comfortable and open up conversation makes it possible to use physical form to promote physiological ease.

While therapists often overlook practice decoration, thoughtful design can support your first session as a therapist to go well. Plus subsequent sessions, of course! To learn more, read Therapist Office Decorating Ideas to Propel Practice Growth.

Then, there are the practical nuts and bolts of the space. Items that include:

• Comfortable seating for clients
• Privacy and confidentiality measures, from soundproofing and physical office security to privacy window coverings
• Therapeutic items like art supplies or stress balls
• Tissues and hygiene supplies
• Reference materials for additional information
• Notepads and tools to write

These items display thoughtfulness; you have practical problems covered and your client’s best interests at heart. Check out Top Things Every Therapist Needs in Their Office for more insights.

Develop a session plan

When you’ve years as a therapist under your belt, you’ll be able to wing it. (Although a session plan is always a good idea!) But a game plan is valuable for your first session as a therapist.

Develop a session plan based on what you know about your first appointment or soon-to-be first client. Consider their personal information, disclosed history, and essential problem areas.

Think about your strategies for building rapport. The first session is vital for establishing trust. Consider starting with broader open-ended questions that allow them to share freely or engage in small talk — if needed — to ease any initial awkwardness or uncertainty.

Plan potential interventions based on the information at hand and your treatment approaches. Naturally, these will depend on how the session unfolds, but having guidelines and light posts provides a head start and should help if you feel you’re getting lost.

Allocate time at the end to summarize the session and discuss the next steps to begin therapy. This helps ensure your client is on board with the therapeutic process and understands what to expect going forward.

A session plan can reduce anxiety and boost confidence as you enter your first therapy session. It equips you with an action guide while providing wiggle room for spontaneous interaction and exploration.

Set realistic expectations

Many of our customers have told us about their eagerness in their first session as a therapist. They initially had unrealistic expectations about what they could achieve, imagining significant changes occurring quickly.

But just as you can’t change the world in a moment and by yourself, neither can your client.

So, set realistic goals for both you and your client.

Therapy is a journey that unfolds over time. Like any journey, it may have its ups and downs. It’s important to communicate this to your client from the get-go. Let them know that progress is unlikely to be linear. Setbacks are a normal part of the therapeutic process.

Similarly, be kind and understanding to yourself. You’ve honed your skills through rigorous training and education, but real-world practice will invariably bring unexpected challenges. It’s okay if you don’t have all the answers right away or things don’t go as planned.

Ask yourself: What expectations are realistic, and how can you support practical, achievable goals?

Handle unexpected situations

Your training and life have already taught you that unexpected situations will crop up. This is no different when you work as a therapist. You might catch a doozy in your first session as a therapist!

So, remember your training.

Your reactions or responses set the tone for the counseling session itself. Maintain an open, non-judgmental attitude and reassure your client that it’s okay for things not always to go as planned.

Encourage open communication and invite them to share their thoughts and feelings about the situation.

Leverage unexpected situations as opportunities for learning and growth. They can often provide unique insights into your client’s experiences and coping mechanisms, allowing you to tailor your therapeutic approach better.

Once the situation has ended, reflect on the experience. What did you do well? How can you improve a similar situation next time? What responses or reactions bubbled up from work you still need to do? What problem-solving skills could you learn or fine-tune?

Reach out. Don’t hesitate to seek support when you need it. If a situation leaves you feeling overwhelmed or unsure how to proceed, contact a mentor or supervisor for guidance.

Seeking support helps you improve as a therapist, elevating your skills, insight, and effectiveness.

Documentation and record-keeping

Do you have your documentation ready and prepped?

Record-keeping is not the most glamorous part of the job. But glamour aside, it is vital. Appropriate documentation records and maintains forms and chronicles information, sessions, progress, and challenges.

Accurate and consistent documentation will stretch from your first session as a therapist to your last. Data points are essential to each client’s record, from intake forms and initial session notes to treatment plans and follow-up reminders.

Ensure you record information promptly and accurately. Note your observations, thoughts, or ideas related to the therapy sessions. This practice will aid in recall and help you gain deeper insights into your clients’ situations.

Correctly documenting your sessions is necessary for legal and ethical reasons. It provides an official record of client interactions.

You can take advantage of streamlining documentation. Tools like secure online forms, practice management software, and encrypted storage systems can make record-keeping more efficient, accurate, and safe. Record-keeping must be securely stored and handled.

Post-session self-evaluation and self-care

Congratulations! You’ve completed your first session as a therapist and are on your way!

The session may have gone well or not. You might feel nervous and have thoughts bubbling around your head: “I should have thought or said this or that,” “I forgot to …,” “What if …?”

Instead of ruminating, be kind to yourself and patient as you learn and grow.

After the consultation ends and your first-ever client has left, take time for post-session self-evaluation. Ask yourself questions like:

• What went well?
• What could be improved?
• What insights did you gain?

Think about your client interaction, therapeutic strategies, and how they responded. This self-reflection fosters continual learning and growth, allowing you to fine-tune your approach and become a more effective therapist.

Alongside professional introspection, focus on self-care. Being a therapist is, at times, emotionally demanding. Especially when you begin in this caring profession — before you develop robust self-protective processes — you can absorb others’ pain, struggles, and fears. This can leave you feeling drained. Over time, burnout can result. It’s crucial to care for your mental and physical health from your first consultation and onwards.

Enjoy activities that calm and rejuvenate your mind — a yoga routine, reading a good book, creating artwork, gardening, or spending time with loved ones.

Maintain a strong support network — remember that it’s okay to lean on others when needed.

Speak to your colleagues, mentors, and your therapist.

Your first session as a therapist may be daunting and exciting, like a tiny step and a giant leap; you’ve got this! Your training and experience starting therapy will have prepared you to positively change the world for your clients. Take the time to get yourself ready for your inaugural session. Enjoy!

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