What to expect in a first session with a Psychologist

Meeting a Psychologist can be nerve-wracking. We understand that.

It’s never our intention or purpose to contribute to nervousness or anxiety, but these feelings are common and are perfectly normal when meeting a Psychologist for the first time (I would go so far as to say that such feelings would be normal in many other instances as well, actually!). Hopefully after a short introduction and getting to know your Psychologist, you will feel welcomed and comfortable to begin to be able to address the hardships that are a concern.

In this article, I wanted to look at and consider what a first meeting with a Psychologist is usually like (i.e., what you could maybe expect in a first meeting). It’s important to bear in mind that  Psychologists might practice or conduct themselves slightly differently, but these would be some of the basics you could expect in an initial introductory/assessment meeting with a Psychologist.

Contract

As is the case with many other services you might approach, Psychologists also love a bit of paperwork (not too much thought, I promise!). At MAPP Psychology, we try to make this process easier by emailing a form you can read and complete at your own convenience.

We will want to collect basic details and will provide information for terms of service. This will include information about payment and cancellation policies and will also include information about confidentiality and limitations of confidentiality. You can always speak to a Psychologist about these policies if you have any questions.

Introductions and questions about current difficulties

First meetings are always introductions. I try to break the ice by asking some general questions. I know that it can be a bit stressful meeting someone like this for a first time, so we try to help alleviate any immediate nervousness by starting slow… ‘what do you do for work?’ or ‘what do you study? can be some helpful questions to start to get to know someone.

After introductions, I’ll ask something like ‘what’s bringing you in today?’ to start to understand current difficulties and how such difficulties might be affecting your mental health. I’ll ask some more questions about your history and ask some questions about your relevant mental health history- for example, if you’ve spoken to or worked with a Psychologist in the past.

General questions

It shouldn’t be a surprise that a Psychologist will likely ask a number of typical and expected questions. In order to develop a more robust assessment, a Psychologist will want to ask questions about quality of sleep, appetite, drug/alcohol use, if you take any medications or have any relevant health concerns, etc.

Psychologist will also want to know if there are any concerns for your personal safety and will likely ask if you have a history of or currently self-harm. Psychologists will want to ask about thoughts of suicide and if you have ever attempted to die by suicide. We understand that this could be a difficult topic, but we appreciate your honesty and will always ask questions sensitively and with care- it is always helpful to know such information should a safety plan need to be developed or how to help a person alleviate self-harm behaviours should this be a concern.

What you’re hoping to accomplish in therapy

One of the most important things for a Psychologist to ask is what you’re hoping to accomplish in therapy (i.e., what your goals for psychological counselling might be or potentially include). If, for example, you’re struggling to cope after a break-up or a bereavement, you might want to speak about and address this in a safe environment in order to begin to heal. If you’re struggling with social anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), you might want to learn how to cope with and reduce relevant symptoms.

Sometimes clients might want to accomplish things that simply aren’t possible in therapy, and this is something that a Psychologist will need to try to address. A classic example is when someone wants to be ‘happier’. I get nervous with this as an end goal and try to explain how emotional goals are often non-starters. What could be possible in psychological counselling is (1) to understand what might be happening in a person’s life that is contributing to one being unhappy and (2) to see if helpful changes to a person’s habits and routines could contribute to them being happier.

What we typically accomplish in an initial meeting

This is a tricky one to answer as it might not seem like we accomplish ‘much’ per se in a first meeting (usually goals are met over the course of subsequent meetings). What is accomplished in an initial meeting is (1) getting to know your Psychologist, (2) for your Psychologist to begin to get to know you and understand your difficulties and relevant history (this can be quite a lot of information sometimes!), and (3) answer any questions you might have about a potential treatment plan or initial suggestions. As an introductory meeting, it is a necessary step to feel safe and alleviate any anxiety you might have about speaking to a Psychologist- we know that this isn’t always something people do in their day-to-day lives and that this can provoke feelings of anxiety and nervousness.

Some people might find an initial meeting to be challenging as this is the first time they’re addressing difficult things in their lives. Over the course of meetings, we can begin to make important changes in your life. We should, however, start to develop a bit of a plan or roadmap for future meetings and an idea for a treatment plan.

Remember… you’re also interviewing me!

At the risk of talking myself out of a job, this is all too important. You need to make sure that I’m the right person for you- that you feel I’m hearing your problems and concerns properly and you feel safe and comfortable speaking to me. Sometimes people might have some preference to speak to someone of a specific gender or who has experience working with specific difficulties or concerns. It can be helpful to ask your Psychologist such questions if this important to you in order to ensure that we’re the right fit for you. The fact of the matter is (and the research has shown) that psychological counselling is only going to be effective if you feel safe and comfortable in the relationship you have with your Psychologist.

It's perfectly normal to feel anxious or nervous when meeting a Psychologist for the first time. At MAPP Psychology, we hope to make you feel welcome and comfortable to be able to speak about and address the hardships in your life. If you would like to arrange an initial meeting with one of our Psychologist, feel free to get in touch with the link below.

-Dr. Adam Lorenzen