First Time to Undergo Therapy? Six Things You Should Know

Amy Taylor May 24, 2016

Undergoing therapy is, for many people, one big challenge. Not everyone has the courage to attend counselling and confide to a person they never met before. It is hard to talk about things that are way too personal, including those negative past experiences.

But therapy can pave way to healing. Your first session may feel really weird and you may need lots of motivation and assurance that everything will be alright in the end.

But keep in mind that your therapist is a trained professional who has years of experience helping people recover from varying mental health problems, may it be depression, anxiety, phobia or trauma. To make your first day of therapy a more comfortable experience, here are some important things you should remember:

You won’t be judged.

Your therapist’s job is not to judge you. In fact, he or she is there to do the opposite. Many people choose not to undergo therapy for the fear of being judged. Therapy is a great venue to deal with your personal issues without being judged. Your therapist is there to listen to you. You may have a lot of struggles, mistakes and shortcomings. He or she will sit with you and understand where you are coming from.

Be open.

During the first session, you are encouraged to talk about the things you have in mind - your worries, past experiences and troubles, and your expectations. For therapy to work, you’ve got to keep an open line with your therapist.

Your therapist is on your side.

Understand that from the moment you become his or her client, your therapist is always on your side. You may find him or her asking questions that seem irrelevant, but trust in your therapist that he or she is doing it because it is what’s needed to help you heal.

Your therapist may have not gone through your experience.

You may find it easier to connect with people who had a similar experience with you. That is why group therapy works. But it isn’t always the case in individual counselling. Your therapist may never have gone through the same experience with you. But that doesn’t mean he or she can no longer connect with you and help you. He or she will rather explore your understanding of the event without making any assumptions.

Trust your therapist.

Pretty much everything your therapist does during the session has a purpose. When he or she asks a question, responds to you in a certain way, or tell you something, it is intended to help you explore yourself and find your way to healing.

Your therapist trusts you.

If there’s anyone who believes that you can heal, it’s your therapist. He or she would have not accepted you in the first place if they don’t believe that you are capable of healing. Regardless of what burdens you have right now, and how painful your experiences have been, your therapist knows that you will make it through. You just have to believe in your therapist and believe in yourself. Your therapist is trained to look at the glass half full rather than half empty. And if you’re having problems doing the same thing, he or she can definitely help.