After our initial phone call, we'll arrange a time for your first session. I'll send you confirmation of the date, time, and location (or Zoom link if meeting online).

You don't need to prepare anything or bring anything with you - just yourself.

If we're meeting in person, I'll meet you in the waiting area and show you to the therapy room. The space is private, comfortable, and quiet.

If we're meeting online, I'll send you a Zoom link. You'll want to be somewhere you feel comfortable and won't be interrupted.

During the session: I won't be sitting with a clipboard asking you a list of questions. This isn't an assessment or an interrogation; it's a conversation.

I'll likely start by asking what brought you to therapy, but there's no pressure to have a perfectly clear answer. Some people arrive knowing exactly what they want to talk about. Others aren't quite sure where to begin. Both are absolutely fine.

You might find yourself talking easily, or you might find it difficult to put things into words at first. You might cry or you might not. There's no "right way" to be in that first session.

My role is to listen, not just to your words, but to what's beneath them. I'll ask questions to help me understand your experience, but I won't interrogate you or push you to share anything you're not ready to talk about.

We’ll usually explore:

In that first session, we'll usually explore:

• What's brought you to therapy now

• What you're hoping for from our work together

• A bit about your current situation and what's been difficult

• How therapy works and what you can expect

I'll also explain practicalities like confidentiality, how often we'd meet and answer any questions you have.

"What if I don't know what to say?" That's okay. Silence is welcome. Sometimes the most important things emerge from not knowing what to say.

"What if I cry?" Tears are welcome here. There's no shame in crying and you won't be judged for it.

"What if I feel awkward?" First sessions can feel a bit awkward; you're meeting someone new and talking about difficult things. That's completely normal and the awkwardness usually eases as we get to know each other.

"What if I decide it's not for me?" You're not obligated to continue after the first session. Therapy only works if it feels right for you

At the end of our first meeting, if you'd like to continue, we'll arrange your next session. If you need time to think about it, that's fine too.

Some people know immediately that they want to continue. Others need to sit with the experience for a few days. There's no rush.

A note on therapy taking time

It's worth knowing that therapy is a process, not a quick fix. The first session is just the beginning, a chance for us to meet, for you to get a sense of how I work and for me to start understanding what's brought you here.

Real therapeutic work often takes time to unfold. It requires trust, and trust takes time to build. But that first session is where it all begins.