What actually happens in your first therapy session?

What happens in that first counseling session? The first counseling session is primarily about getting to know you. This includes, yes, getting to know what's hurting, what's not feeling good in your life, but it's also just getting to know you as a person: what's important to you, what makes you you. We want to understand your values. Ultimately, we want to understand your goals. If we truly were helpful, how would you know?

We're listening for what's been going on in your life, what's been going on in your relationships. If things were different, could you paint us a picture of how that would be? Understanding who you are and what's important to you is front and center in that first counseling session.

Here at Wellspring, we do aim for healing from the get-go. This doesn't mean that your problem is going to be fully solved right away, in one session, but we want the first session to feel good and be effective. Everyone's situation is unique. For some, maybe you're not in crisis. Yes, there are real challenges, but you've been carrying them alone, and just feeling understood and encouraged and supported can do a lot. We want to give that to you, and we hope you experience that in the first session.

Other people who show up might need clear, direct action steps to take outside of our session. Outpatient counseling is not necessarily the best plan for every problem, so we are assessing and evaluating whether being here and working with a therapist is the best next step for you.

Oftentimes, just slowing down and having a person ask questions and genuinely care helps a person make sense of their feelings in a new way. It's so easy for us as humans to not even really know what we're feeling or what we're thinking. We often need the support of another person to experience that inner healing for ourselves.

So to sum this part up, it really is your present experience that helps determine how the counselor approaches that first session. Yes, expect some questions about getting to know you, what's important to you, your goals and your challenges. But beyond those generalities, we meet you where you're at, and we want this process to make sense in light of who you are and what you want.