Are you considering therapy but don’t know where or when to start? Maybe you have questions like “how do I know I need therapy?” or “what can I expect?” Well, you have come to the right place! These are all good questions so let’s dive into it.

When to Start Therapy

So you’ve heard of this thing called “therapy” that everyone is doing and you are wondering when a good time to start is. Well, that partly depends on you. Consider what it is that you want out of therapy first. Some people may think “well, there’s nothing wrong with me… I don’t really have an actual reason to go like others do.” That is fine too! You do not need to have a “problem” to begin therapy. Just like going to the doctor for annual wellness visits, you can most certainly see a therapist to be proactive about your mental health. If you do find that you have concerns that you would like to address in therapy, consider asking yourself these questions: “am I in a space that I am able to commit to consistent sessions? am I open to learning and practicing skills taught in therapy?” Therapy is a collaborative effort (usually – depends on the therapist and their approach) between the client and the therapist. Remember, sessions are typically 1 hour for 1 week so the rest of the time is up to you to upkeep the things that you learned in therapy.

What to Expect

Okay, hopefully you now have a better understanding of when to start therapy. To recap, the answer is the dreaded “it depends.” Now let’s explore what to expect in therapy. Before you even start therapy, you will need to sign consent forms stating that you agree to receive treatment. Often times the therapist’s office will ask for screeners or questionnaires to have some information to go off before meeting you. This helps us to know what to expect in terms of symptoms, concerns, and severity of symptoms. It also serves to pre-screen to see if we are a good fit for each other.

There are many types of therapies. I will refer to the most common, or talk therapy. In talk therapy, you can expect to talk about your concerns. Sessions typically last for about an hour (50-60 minutes). Again, some of this is dependent on the client but frequency of sessions is usually weekly or biweekly meetings. 

Every therapist is different in their approach so I will speak for myself. In the first session, I aim to gather information on you, your concerns, and other relevant history (friends, family, relationships, etc.).  I will also ask you for your goals in therapy. What are you hoping to work on during our time together? How can I help you? The second session and onward will consist of us working together to meet those goals that we have set in the beginning. Therapy goals can always be adjusted as we go, but it is good to have a starting point and an idea of the direction we want to head towards.