What to Expect in Your First Therapy Session

Starting therapy can feel like a big step. For many people, the idea of walking into a room (or joining online) and talking to a complete stranger about deeply personal things can feel daunting. That’s completely understandable. I want to reassure you that your first session with me is not about pressure, judgment, or obligation. It’s about us beginning to get to know one another and gently exploring whether this feels like a good fit for you.

A free 15-minute introduction

Because I believe the relationship is at the heart of therapy, I offer a free 15-minute introductory chat before we even begin. This gives us both a chance to see if we feel we could work well together. Therapy is a two-way process — you need to feel comfortable with me, and I also need to feel confident that I can offer you the right support. If I don’t feel I’m the best fit for you, I can refer you on to someone else or suggest another service where I believe you’d get the support you deserve.

Co-creating a safe space

If we decide to go ahead, then in our first full session we’ll spend some time co-constructing a contract. This isn’t about rigid rules — it’s about creating clarity together. We’ll look at practical things like session length, fees, cancellations, and confidentiality, but also what you might need from me to feel safe and supported. This way, you know what to expect, and we both have a clear sense of how we’ll work together.

Going at your pace

There’s no pressure to share more than you feel ready to. Some people come to a first session with lots they want to talk about, while others just want to get a feel for the space and the relationship. Both are completely okay. We’ll go at your pace, and we’ll review together as we go along. You are always free to decide whether to continue or not.

How I work

I practise as a humanistic counsellor grounded in existential philosophy. In simple terms, this means I believe therapy is about exploring your lived experience, your relationships, and the choices open to you, in a way that’s meaningful for you. It’s not about me giving you answers, but about us working together to make sense of things and supporting you in finding your own way forward.

Exploring your needs

During the first session, I’ll also ask some gentle questions to understand what’s bringing you to therapy and what you hope to gain. This is more of an assessment than an interrogation — it helps me to understand your needs so that we can shape the sessions around what matters most to you.

Practical and logistical elements

We’ll cover the practicalities too:

• How sessions are structured (usually weekly at an agreed time)

• Options for in-person, online, or phone sessions

• Payment and cancellations

• Confidentiality and data protection

These elements are there to create a sense of safety and reliability, so that you know where you stand.

What future sessions might look like

Therapy looks different for everyone, because every client is unique. Some people use their sessions to update me on the issue they originally came to therapy about. Others prefer to talk through their week and whatever has come up for them. Some people like to work in more creative ways — for example, choosing an object or card from a selection and exploring what feelings or memories it brings up.

The one thing that remains consistent is the structure: the regularity of our venue, time, and session length. This consistency helps create the safe, reliable container in which you can explore freely and openly.

💡 In summary: your first therapy session with me is about creating a safe, collaborative space where you can explore what you need, at your own pace, without any pressure or obligation.

👉 If you’d like to know more or arrange an introductory chat, please feel free to get in touch.