What actually happens in therapy?
G
oing to your very first session of therapy can be nerve-wracking, especially if you are already prone to worrying or feeling anxious. Here are a few details on the kinds of things that might happen in therapy, to give you a sense of what you could expect.
What happens in the very first therapy session?
The first session in counselling and psychotherapy should be helping you to feel comfortable and to begin to build a relationship with your therapist. In my first session with new clients, I will begin by ensuring that they are comfortable in the room or on the call together. A really important part of the first session is that we cover our agreement for working together. This sets out what you can expect from me, how we communicate, confidentiality and cancellation policies amongst other things. The aim of going through this together is to help you feel safe and to establish boundaries that will help you know what to expect going forwards. We will then start to explore as much as you are comfortable with sharing in the first session - some clients are ready to get straight into it at this point, some do not want to go straight into the depth of things, and either is absolutely fine!
Challenging misconceptions
Therapy isn’t about giving you advice. When I work with clients, I want it to feel collaborative. So while I might share with you tools and techniques that you could explore, reflections on what you have said, patterns that I have noticed emerging, I won’t be suggesting what decisions you should make. The aim is that by working together, you will begin to feel more in touch with your thoughts and feelings, and be more equipped and empowered to know what is right for you.
Not all forms of therapy follow a set script, series of steps or path
While some types of therapy can be highly structured, many forms are not. My approach to therapy involves blending approaches to make something highly responsive and personalised to the individual, so there is no script, series of steps or path that is set in our work. In our early sessions and at regular points, we will review how our sessions are feeling for you and adjust as you need to.
Why the relationship is important
As more and more is discussed about ‘AI therapy’, it is worth understanding that a huge part of what works in therapy is the relationship between the therapist and client, something that can’t be replicated by AI. Many studies, including meta-analyses by Flückiger et al.(2018) and Horvath et al. (2011) have come to the conclusion that a strong therapeutic relationship is an important factor in the success of therapy. There are likely to be a whole multitude of reasons for this. For example, a strong relationship built upon trust helps you to be more open and honest about what is going on for you. Additionally, the feeling of not being judged, and being responded to with care and consistency can itself be therapeutic. Of course, a good relationship probably makes you more willing to come back to your therapist and stay for as long as you need to.
You may have many more specific questions about what happens in therapy. A great way to explore these is through a consultation call, so do book one in if you would like to ask me more! I offer private therapy in Leeds City Centre and online, allowing a flexible approach to working together. If you are interested in talking about options, reach out here:
