If you are considering or have been to therapy, I’m sure this thought has crossed your mind. For most people, the starting of therapy can seem daunting, to a point whereby they put off going to therapy for as long as they can. 

I have been to therapy before. I usually take time to warm up to people, so this made me very anxious to meet my then therapist for the first time. I felt too awkward. Found myself smiling a lot. But I did survive the first session, and the next and the next and kept at it for 3 years. It was such a beautiful journey of self discovery for me. 

This article is to remind you that it’s okay to be anxious before, during and after your 1st session. It’s okay to be awkward, and it’s also okay to feel more at ease. Starting off your first session by sharing your honest feelings about the therapy session can help make it feel less awkward and function as a good icebreaker, which can possibly lead to exploring more parts of who you are. Remember the saying that “1st impressions matter?”, even in therapy, 1st encounters matter. This doesn’t mean you have to try to present yourself in a way that you think will please your therapist. Just be yourself. You’ll get through it, I promise😊.

Another thing that makes the 1st therapy session easier is that your therapist might know that you are anxious, your therapist might also be anxious, so take it easy. In the 1st session, your therapist may ask you a lot of questions, just to get to know you better. You’ll get so lost in answering the questions you’ll be surprised how fast time goes by. There’s just a lot to unpack.

We are all human and first encounters of any kind bring up all sorts of different reactions. Just go with the flow (I know it’s easier said than done). If it feels too uncomfortable, you can share that with your therapist.

I hope this helps you get through your first session. You can do it.

If you are heading for your 1st therapy session, think about how you are feeling about that, maybe you can share that with your therapist. If you’ve been to therapy and remember what your 1st session felt like, you can reflect on the experience and see how far you have come. Thank you!