Feeling apprehensive?
Maybe you’re wondering what happens at your first session visiting a Psychologist or one of our therapists?
Remember when you started your first day of high school or your first job. You were unsure of where to go, how to look busy, and whether the people would warm to you. You may also experience these feelings of apprehension and uncertainty when coming along to see one of our therapists for the first time.
What do I have to do?
How will the session unfold?
What will they ask of me?
Will I like my therapist?
These are all valid thoughts as our brains are wired to check in and make sure our needs are met. We hope we can put your mind at ease by opening our doors to assist you in preparing for your first session, and make it feel less daunting.
On Arrival
Once you’ve made your appointment with one of our therapists, you will be asked to come in 15 minutes early. This allows us to show you a quick iPad video about Creating Change, and complete a brief questionnaire and consent form. This is a good time for you to sit, take a breath and familiarise yourself with the practice. We provide a warm welcome and a cup of tea to ease any nerves whilst you wait. Your therapist will then meet with you and take you through to our comfortable appointment rooms. We do have two offices on the same level, so you may get to enjoy a short walk up corridor to our second office with your therapist.
Feel Safe and Re-assured
All our sessions are conducted in a safe and confidential environment. Our highly skilled therapists are passionate about making you feel as relaxed as possible. In the initial appointment, our therapists will conduct a comprehensive assessment of your current life situation and the factors that have influenced their development. The key focus is to identify how we will facilitate change for you to create a sense of wellbeing, contentment and connectedness.
The assessment aims to develop a personalised plan to achieve your goals. We understand that talking to someone new about your difficulties in life may provoke anxiety, and so we will aim to put you at ease in your first appointment. If there is a difficult history like childhood trauma, we may take it slow, not going into detail of the traumas but rather focus on developing confidence in your therapist and stabilising your current symptoms.
We will provide you with an estimation of the length of treatment, frequency of sessions and what you will be required to do.
As treatment is a collaborative process, meaning we will work together, you will be highly involved in the decision making. It is ideal to book in all your future sessions required after the first appointment to ensure you have continuity of treatment. We don’t want you to miss out on your preferred appointment day and time! Having a regular time that suits your weekly schedule will ensure your personal development remains a priority.
Ensuring you feel open to ask questions
If you have any questions during the session, it is essential you ask them. We are full of information, but we aren’t able read your mind. If you at any time feel uncomfortable, please let us know. Sometimes it takes time to develop a relationship with your therapist. We understand this and encourage you to discuss your experiences with us. If you are keen to make changes sooner rather than later, you can book your second session in within the same week to start the treatment ball rolling.
Remember that changing habits takes time and cannot be done in an hour or two. We are with you for the long haul and look forward to working together on your treatment journey.
