Get Ready for Your Appointment

So, you made the good decision to get yourself some help. You made your phone calls. Now you’re wondering what it’ll be like when you finally see someone. After you schedule your appointment, you’ll typically receive a confirmation and may be asked to complete some paperwork about your personal and mental health history. Your first session usually serves as an intake or assessment, where the mental health professional gets to know your situation and helps you set goals for treatment. Based on this, a treatment plan may be suggested.

No matter what kind of professional you end up seeing, whether it be a therapist, licensed psychologist, registered counsellor, psychiatrist, or another mental health expert, there are many tips on navigating the Canadian mental health care system.

Preparing for your first counselling session can feel intimidating but taking a few steps to organize your thoughts and emotions can help you feel more at ease. Start by reflecting on the main issues or challenges you’d like to explore in therapy, whether it’s anxiety, stress, relationships, or past experiences.

You might find it helpful to write down a list of topics or questions you want to discuss, ensuring that nothing gets overlooked in the session. Bringing a few notes with you can provide a starting point and make it easier to express what’s on your mind, especially if you’re feeling nervous.

Additionally, consider what you hope to achieve from therapy. Having a sense of your goals, whether it’s developing coping strategies, managing symptoms of a mental illness, or gaining deeper self-awareness, will give you and your therapist a clearer focus for your sessions.

The first appointment is for your counsellor/therapist to get as much information as possible about you, but also to help you get comfortable. The first session may include some administrative tasks, such as filling out paperwork and reviewing the therapy process.

Your therapist will start by asking you why you came to therapy, concerns you have, symptoms you are experiencing, etc. Just answer honestly, and feel free to ask some questions yourself.

You may also be asked to fill out standardized questionnaires, which are widely used by Canadian mental health professionals to help assess your situation. Before you leave, you might want to ask your mental health professional what they think the problem may be, and what they would do to help you. You could also ask them who they will be sharing your personal information with.

Things to Keep in Mind During Your First Therapy Session

Building Trust with Your Therapist Takes Time

For your first therapy session, it’s important to remember that it may take time to trust the therapist. Don’t feel rushed to open up, but let it happen at its own pace. Remember though, that openness and honesty about your thoughts, feelings, and experiences will help the therapist understand your needs, goals, and how to work towards these together.

Consider Whether You’re Talking to the Right Therapist

The first session does not commit you to working with that particular therapist. It is important to have a good ‘fit’ with your therapist for successful therapy. The first session will help you decide if the therapist’s approach and personality will work for you.

If you don’t feel comfortable talking to the therapist from your first session, it may be best to try someone else. It is common for Canadians to try multiple therapists before finding the right fit. Resources such as the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) directory or provincial health services can help locate licensed professionals in your province.

Mostly, you talk, and they listen. As you talk and get heard, things become clearer, and options emerge.

After your first session, you and your counsellor/therapist will likely enter into a pattern. Each mental health professional has a different way of working, which may include:

• a check-in (e.g., “How are you? Or “How have you been since we were last here?”)
• the main part of the therapy session (e.g., working on goals such as trauma processing, anxiety reduction, or skill building or something that came up at check-in)
• a closing segment (e.g., where you prepare to leave the session and resume the rest of your life)

At any point, feel free to bring questions or thoughts you’ve had in between sessions. Remember, this is a partnership towards your well-being, so any and all questions you ask are important.

At some point through your therapy, you won’t want to go.