Preparing forCounseling
It takes courage to start therapy and if you’d made it this far, you’ve taken a really important step toward feeling better.
I put this page together to take some of the mystery out of counseling, and support you as you get started.
Whether counseling is successful for you depends on things like your:
- Openness/honesty with your therapist
- Willingness to try new ways of looking at things
- Motivation to change (both thoughts and behaviors)
- Tolerance for a bit of discomfort (growth can be challenging)
Goals
Deciding on your goals for therapy will also help you get the most out of your relationship with your counselor.
Before arriving for your first session, consider your answers to these questions:
- What would you like to learn about yourself, or change about yourself?
- If counseling is successful for you, how will your life be better than it is now?
- On a scale from 1 to 10… (1 = Not important at all. 10 = The most important thing ever!) How important is it to you to resolve the issues that are bringing you to counseling?
The Right Fit
Another, very important aspect of successful counseling is the right fit with your therapist.
As a counselor, I bring with me not only my training and clinical point of view, but also my personality and life experience.
I hope you feel right at home with me right away. But if you have any reservations after our first meeting, I sincerely encourage you to have a conversation with me.
Communication styles don’t always mesh immediately, but if you take a chance, ask a few questions, and share any worries you have—your initial investment of time and money may grow into exactly what you need.
My goal is your well-being.
After Your First Appointment
It’s not uncommon to leave what felt like a great session, and then start feeling super vulnerable.
You might think, “I shouldn’t have said so much!” Or wonder, “What must she think of me?!” Or maybe you didn’t say something that was really important, and it feels like you should have been more truthful about some things.
Don’t worry. It’s ok.
If you feel you shared too much
It takes time to build a relationship with your therapist. I promise, I’m not thinking anything bad about you at all.
Being honest and open in therapy is very brave and is the exact thing that can make therapy valuable to your growth.
My only concern getting you to your goal, and we won’t get there together if you don’t share the real stuff.
If you feel you didn’t say enough
Some things take time to reveal. There are things that feel embarrassing, or hard to talk about because they bring up difficult or frightening memories.
If you’re comfortable sharing those things right away, that’s ok.
But if it takes you a few sessions to really trust that you’re safe – that’s ok too, and makes perfect sense.
Being initially reserved in what you choose to share about yourself can be a sign of healthy boundaries.
