You might have been thinking about going to therapy for the first time or going back to therapy after some time off. You’ve researched a therapist or been referred. You’ve booked your first session. Now what? Starting or re-starting therapy can stir up a lot of emotions. You might be worried about what will happen in the session, if you’ll get along with your therapist, if you’ll get anything out of treatment, or even embarrassed about the prospect of opening yourself up to someone new. All of those concerns are valid and perfectly normal.
One way to manage these anxious thoughts is to turn worry into action. Here are four things that you can do to feel more prepared for your session and two things you can do after your session to ease into the rest of your day:
Before Session
Acknowledge: Give yourself credit for taking steps to prioritize your mental health despite competing pressures of life, social stigma, or whatever else got in the way in the past. The important thing is that you are showing up for yourself now.
Set the Scene:
If your session will be over telehealth make sure that you will have some privacy. This might mean finding a room in the apartment or requesting that family members/significant others/roommates/etc. step out during the session (or schedule when they are normally at work, school, daycare, etc.). If those you might live with must be home consider asking them to wear headphones or earplugs to muffle the sound. You might consider using an outdoor area if the weather is mild. Be sure to use headphones with a button to turn the microphone on and off to reduce noise from wind, traffic, etc.
Test drive your internet connection and device to ensure that the video call can be completed with the equipment you have.
If you are worried about your therapist seeing the inside of your home tidy up, put up a room divider or screen, or use the blur background option on Zoom.
Have a few art or writing supplies with you. You can use these to jot down questions , reminders, and insights during the session or use them for creative expression. If you don’t know what supplies you might want to have on hand check out these suggestions from arttherapyresources.com/au.
Questions: It is okay to ask questions during your session. You might want to know about practical matters such as insurance, scheduling, communications, your therapist’s professional credentials, etc. You can set aside time during the session, either at the beginning or the end, to address these matters. Your therapist may not have the answer to every question but they can help guide you to find answers.
Expectations: Think about what outcomes you hope to have from coming to therapy. While therapy can be a useful tool to help you improve your quality of life it is not a panacea and it is usually not a quick process. In many ways, therapy is like exercising with a trainer. There are times when you will feel like you are making great progress and there are times when you may plateau. There are times when the process will be enjoyable and times when you experience discomfort. Consistently showing up, doing the introspective work, and being patient with yourself tends to yield the best results. The time you spend in therapy is based on your individual needs and goals. There is no one-size-fits-all. Treatment for one person might be a few months to get through a rough patch in life. Treatment for another person might be several years . With all of this in mind, if something doesn’t feel right it is important to communicate that with your therapist. Most of the time the matter can be resolved with a conversation.
After Session
Reflect: Take time to think about what happened in session and how it made you feel. If you wrote notes or made artwork look at these too. This doesn’t have to happen immediately after or even the same day. Consider:
What went well?
What was something that you learned that you can apply going forward?
What didn’t go well or didn’t feel right?
Are there new questions or topics that I want or need to address next time.
Unwind: If possible, take some time after session to take a walk, drink a cup of coffee or tea, journal, or another relaxing self-care activity. While therapy is often a needed relief from stress, there are times when processing difficult emotions or concerns in your life can be tough. Taking those few minutes of quiet after session can help you ease back into the rest of your day more gently.