First Therapy Session – This is How to Prepare

Before your first therapy session – online intake form

Before your first session, I will ask you to fill out an online intake form. When we schedule your appointment, you will receive an email with a link to access the intake form with a password. This form is secure (HIPAA Complaint) and your information is safeguarded.

Here is some of the basic information you will enter in the form:

• Name, contact info, etc.
• A picture of your ID card / license
• Insurance information as well as a picture of your insurance card, if you are using insurance
• Your doctor’s and psychiatrist’s contact information, if applicable
• Allergies, medications and medical conditions, if applicable
• Sign an “Informed Consent” to agree to therapy services with Virginia Counseling
• Sign a “Notice of Privacy Practices”, required by HIPAA law
• Sign a “Credit Card on File Authorization” for payment of any copays, co-insurance, deductibles

I ask that this intake form be completed at least 24 hours before your scheduled appointment to give me time to review your information, get all your info entered into the system, verify your insurance and get estimates on your out-of-pocket costs. If something prevents you from completing the packet 24 hours before your appointment, that is okay — we can reschedule your appointment.

You can complete the packet in about 15 minutes with your information handy (your license, insurance information, etc). The online form is easy to use and offers auto-fill options, if enabled in your browser. You can use your finger to sign and it can be completed using your cell phone or computer. It also auto-saves so that you don’t have to reenter any information if you fill it out in multiple sittings.

Your first therapy session

During your first session, we will complete an initial counseling assessment. This is a guided verbal questionaire, so I will provide the framework for our conversation — you don’t have to worry about how to get the conversation going, or what to say.

Assessment and first therapy session questions

I use a counseling assessment as a guide in your first session to get a basic understanding of your background and situation. Here are some of the questions I will ask in your first session:

• Tell me about your important relationships (family, friends, coworkers, etc) and anything related to your relationship history you’d like to work on in therapy.
• Are you content or fulfilled with your social life or social network?
• Tell me about your medical history, and especially anything that may be affecting your mental health
• Have you ever tried therapy before? If so, tell me about anything was or wasnt helpful, and anything else that you’d like me to know.
• What are your expectations for therapy?

Treatment plan

In your first therapy session, we will also start developing a treatment plan. This plan includes your goals for counseling, including timeframes and objectives

Your treatment plan will be something that we develop together in your first few sessions. Throughout therapy, we will keep an open dialogue about how counseling is going for you. Your treatment plan is flexible and we can update it at any time. We can also change the frequency of your therapy appointment or pivot to anything else you want to work on, at any time that you want.

Wrapping up your first therapy appointment

At the end of your first session, we will schedule the appointment for your next session. You can expect the payment for your first session to be charged to your credit card on file.

While the assessment and starting your treatment plan usually takes up the whole first session, if you have anything pressing that you would like to talk about right away, let me know.

Therapy is for you. You and I will tailor your sessions, including your first session, to meet your needs. What ever you want to talk about is fair game. I will listen with an unbiased and open-minded ear and offer my insights and guidance to help you get to where you want to be.

Do you want to start feeling better before your first therapy appointment?

Pick one of the following things to work on from now until your your first therapy appointment:

• Dedicate at least 8 hours of sleep every night
  -or-
• Shoot for exercising or some form of physical exercise everyday
  -or-
• Eat 3 meals a day and eat whole foods with every meal

While this advice may seem like common sense, there is a reason that it is. If you find yourself lacking in sleep, exercise or eating habits, take action with one of these “easy” but not so easy things. Don’t try to change too much at once. Focus on one thing that you want to change and work on doing it well.

But don’t worry if it’s harder than you thought. I look forward to hearing about your experience and helping you along the way.

Do you want to read more about my approach to therapy? Read John’s Approach to Therapy.