What should I talk about first in therapy? (2023)

What should I say at my first therapy session?

Start your next session by telling your therapist how you felt after your last session, and give them a chance to reflect with you and offer support. You might find it helpful to write down some notes. Talk about how you feel with a listening service or someone you trust, such as friends or family.

If you don't know what to talk about in therapy, some things to consider talking about include recent life events, relationships, traumas, and more.

Other things to avoid during a therapy session include: asking about other confidential conversations with other clients; showcasing violent emotions; or implying any romantic or sexual interest in your therapist. The number one job of a therapist is to keep you safe and protect their clients' privacy.

Why are you seeking therapy at this time? People go to therapy for a variety of reasons. You'll be asked to explain why you're seeking therapy to give the therapist an idea of your goals.

The number of recommended sessions varies by condition and treatment type, however, the majority of psychotherapy clients report feeling better after 3 months; those with depression and anxiety experience significant improvement after short and longer time frames, 1-2 months & 3-4.

Googling a therapist can raise feelings of guilt for some clients, and I think that it is useful in therapy to discuss the relationship as openly as you feel able. I would suggest that having a conversation with your therapist around your internet search could be a great opportunity for good work in therapy.

Sometimes we strike a nerve that causes our clients to feel too vulnerable, leading to a “shut down” response. This is a protective mechanism that probably served our client very well at some point in their life when there was a real threat.

Will a therapist tell you your diagnosis?

You have specific rights when disclosing your diagnosis as a client receiving therapy. For example, it's your right to ask your therapist to tell you if they believe you have a mental health condition. If you want a diagnosis, you can ask your therapist upfront.

For the specific event, therapists used silence primarily to facilitate reflection, encourage responsibility, facilitate expression of feelings, not interrupt session flow, and convey empathy. During silence, therapists observed the client, thought about the therapy, and conveyed interest.

The short answer is that you can tell your therapist anything – and they hope that you do. It's a good idea to share as much as possible, because that's the only way they can help you.

None of the ethics boards that regulate mental health professionals specifically prohibit the use of touch or view it as unethical. There are times when your therapist may believe that it's more harmful to you not to initiate a hug. In some cases, nonsexual, therapeutic touch may be beneficial.

With some clients, if you wait for a break in the conversation to interject your thoughts, the therapy hour will be over. Therefore, when you need to interrupt you will say something like this: “I hear you saying _____. I really want to help you, but I am confused as to how this fits with your ____ issue…?”

Findings revealed that therapists have strong emotional and behavioral responses to a patient's dissociation in session, which include anxiety, feelings of aloneness, retreat into one's own subjectivity and alternating patterns of hyperarousal and mutual dissociation.

Reappraising Anxiety

It is extremely common and normal to feel anxious before therapy.

The basic stages of counseling are: 1) Developing the client/clinician relationship; 2) Clarifying and assessing the presenting problem or situation; 3) Identifying and setting counseling or treatment goals; 4) Designing and implementing interventions; and 5) Planning, termination, and follow-up.

The single sessions worked especially well for decreasing anxiety and behavioral problems. In fact, Schleider says, on these measures, one session of therapy turned out to be about as effective as 16 sessions.

How do you introduce yourself to a new therapist?

There is no need to introduce yourself to a therapist before a first meeting. To do so is already introducing contact outside of your sessions, which should be reserved for urgent matters. Introduce yourself when you arrive to see your therapist. Your therapist doesn't need homework to prep for your visit.

Starting therapy can be especially awkward if you've not been in therapy before. If you feel weird at first when you're talking to your therapist, don't worry. It takes a while to get used to therapy, but you'll eventually get the hang of it.