I’m nervous about starting therapy. Is that normal?

Therapy can be vulnerable and new, so it’s natural to be nervous. It can be difficult to have faith that therapy will bring you relief. The fear around that can feel overwhelming. It takes courage to start going to therapy. The fact that you are on this website, looking for help, and reading this right now shows that you are being brave and seeking help. 

Therapy is a space where you can be yourself and bring up whatever is going on for you, including feeling nervous. I’m committed to finding a way to care for your nervousness and ensure sessions are as comfortable as possible. 

I’m here if you want to talk about it during a first session.

How do I know if you are the right therapist for me?

Take your time to read through my website. If you sense that I may be a good fit based on what you are reading, you can Email me. 

During a first session, you can ask me more about my training and education, or any other questions you may have that are specific-to-you. You’ll also be able to share what’s going on for you and we can determine how I could best be of service to you.

It may be helpful to think of the first few sessions as trying out the waters together. During the sessions, you’ll be able to see how you feel working with me. My approach is not going to work for everyone. What’s most important to me is that you find someone who you feel is the right fit for you. We can explore that together.

What if I don't want to talk about something?

If something feels overwhelming or even terrifying to discuss, that's actually very normal. It can often feel difficult to talk about some things.. During our sessions, you never have to talk about something you’re not comfortable talking about. We will collaborate on understanding what you feel ready to open up about. Together we will work through the difficult stuff.

You can also share with me that you are nervous to open up about something and we can talk about that too. Whenever you have a lot of feelings about something, you are welcome to discuss them in session with me.

I’m scared that if I open up, you will think I’m crazy.

If you open up to me, I will not think you are crazy, I will think you are unique and human. Many of my clients have had the same fear (that people would think they are crazy). 

Through my own life journey and working with my clients, I know how ‘normal’ your experience is. 

You're a good person. Nothing you can say will cause me to judge you. 

I know many of us are overwhelmed, we all suffer in different ways, we are humans trying to human. 

Whatever it is you're going through, I provide a comfortable space where I will listen to you and give you my full support

Does what we talk about in therapy remain confidential?

You might already know that you want to share sensitive information about your loved ones with me and you don't want them to find out what you've said. So I want you to know that unless there is an imminent danger to yourself or someone else, everything you share with me is completely confidential

I highly respect your privacy and value your trust.

You can rest assured that you can talk about anything without fear of that information getting out.

If you have specific questions about how confidentiality works, you can ask during your during a first session or anytime during our work together.

How long will therapy take?

You might be asking about how long therapy will take because you think that therapy will be an overwhelming process. 

If this is true for you, I want you to know that on average, my new clients start seeing small amounts of growth after the first 3-5 sessions. 

By that point, they feel a little more calm and hopeful that healing is possible

The total duration of therapy varies from client to client. Some of my clients find 6-12 weeks to be enough to resolve immediate challenges. While other clients feel more supported by longer-term therapy.

We will work together to find the length of time that works for you.

What can I expect during the first session?

Overall, you can think of the first session as a structured assessment that helps me get to know you and the challenges that brought you into treatment. I’ll invite you to share more about yourself and we can also talk about what’s worked or not worked for your mental health in the past.

Some questions that I like to ask during a first session include:

• What brought you to therapy?

• Have you gone to therapy before? How did that go?

• What goals would you like to reach by going to therapy?

You can ask me questions as well. You might be curious about my training or what sessions will be like. 

The most important part of a first session is that you see if you feel I’m a good fit for you. If you feel safe, accepted, and comfortable with me, we can discuss if you’d like to meet again. 

How can I get started? 

I'm here to talk during a first session where you can share what’s going on for you and we can determine how I could best be of service to you. 

Email me today to get your free phone consultation at brittneypeiffer@thepeifferpractice.com.