5 Essential Questions to Ask Before Your First Therapy Session
So you’ve decided to pursue mental health therapy. First let me say, I’m proud of you for taking this step toward self-exploration, education, support, and healing. If you’ve never experienced therapy before, it might feel intimidating and even scary if you aren’t sure what to expect.
Here are a few important things to consider before your first therapy session.
1. What is motivating me to seek out therapy?
Have you experienced any significant events in your life that you’re struggling with? Any new or long-term symptoms that are troubling or interfering with your ability to function in your everyday life? Often, we don’t realize how our experiences can impact our mental health that makes it difficult to operate in our daily lives the way we need to. Be sure to mention these events and any symptoms you’ve noticed.
2. What are my goals for therapy (What do I want to gain from the process)?
What changes are you hoping to see in yourself through therapy? Are you hoping to gain a better understanding of yourself or your relationships? Do you need help learning ways to manage symptoms you’re experiencing? Do you need to heal trauma from your past? Having goals in mind before you go will help bring focus to the therapy sessions and give the therapist a better understanding of your needs.
3. Are there any certain interventions or specialties I want my therapist to be fluent in?
Mental health therapy has become a more specialized field over recent years, so having an idea of what types of modalities and interventions you’re interested in will help you get the most out of your treatment.
Are you looking for trauma-informed therapy? You might seek out a therapist that specializes in EMDR.
Are you struggling with addiction? There are therapists that focus their services in that area of expertise.
Do you want to incorporate your faith into your sessions? Finding a therapist that offers Christian counseling might be a priority for you.
Maybe you aren’t able to drive to the office or need the added flexibility of a Telehealth option. These are all important things to consider in order to make the therapy experience work the best for you.
4. How often do I want to be seen?
Considering your need and availability ahead of time is an important step to ensure you’re making the therapy process work the best for your needs. Discuss with your therapist the frequency of sessions that are appropriate for your concerns and your schedule. Together, you and your therapist can help determine what frequency will work best for your specific needs.
5. What are my options for payment for services?
Recently, we have seen improvements in insurance coverage for mental health services. However, there might be some limitations to the coverage. There are circumstances where you might need a more flexible option for payment. Some offices offer membership plans where you pay a monthly fee for a certain number of sessions per month or sliding scale fees for clients without insurance.
Some therapists may only offer a self-pay option where you pay out of pocket for each session. Also important to consider are late fees or fees if you miss one of your appointments.
Knowing these policies ahead of time will protect you from any unexpected financial costs later.
Conclusion
Your first experience with therapy doesn’t have to be scary or intimidating. Considering these 5 things before your first session will help eliminate the unknowns and place you on a solid path toward healing and overall well-being.
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About Two Roads Wellness Clinic®
Two Roads Wellness Clinic® is an integrative wellness clinic. We truly believe in whole-person wellness and see more than just a list of symptoms.
At Two Roads Wellness Clinic®, we want you to experience the difference of personalized health care. We’re an integrative health clinic offering a vast array of services including, mental health treatments such as EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), family therapy, medication management, primary care, integrative nutritional support, personalized health reports and precision medicine with DNA testing, weight management program, life coaching, physical therapy, infrared sauna services, community education and outreach, and more.
The Two Roads Wellness Clinic® team of therapists, medical and nutrition staff, life coaches, physical therapists, and emotional support animals are ready to help you find an integrated approach to your wellness. To schedule an appointment, visit our contact page to get started at one of our convenient locations in Champaign, Danville, Mahomet or Covington, or learn more about Online Therapy and Medical Sessions.
Like the Robert Frost poem our name is based on, we want to help you find the path that makes a difference in YOUR life.
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by.
And that has made all the difference.”Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken”
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