I just had my first session. Now what?

So you’ve just had your first therapy session. I hope you are feeling OK. Sometimes it feels good to express how you are feeling and sometimes it feels vulnerable. Is there anything you forgot to mention? Write that down for next time. Sometimes we discuss a particular intervention in the first session. So…try to remember… was there anything specific you are supposed to do until the next session? Do that! In general, I like people to think through what they want to get out of therapy. If therapy is working, what’s going to look different in time? What will you notice in 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and a year? Therapy can help the current state of your experience (e.g. panic attacks), but more importantly the experience of therapy can develop a trait change or that enduring change—something that helps you express and live out who you are. So, back to the plan. What will you notice if therapy is working? For example, “I won’t cry in the bathroom daily at work”. Or, “I’ll experience moments of joy”. Or, “I’ll snap at my kids less often and then not at all”. Bring in some thoughts to the next session and we’ll go from there. Remember, you have a therapist to help you work through this, so no worries if you get stuck. It’s my job to help you see things differently…to make some sense of things. I’ll look forward to seeing you in about a week!