Therapy is very popular right now in today’s culture. It can seem like everyone either has a therapist these days or has been to therapy. Therapy is often recommended by people, which is amazing progress in mental health awareness! Therapy is also more accessible now than ever before. Most insurance plans cover therapy and you can access both in-person and remote therapy. There is also group therapy, text therapy, and even therapists on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram create content you can use to help yourself when needed at anytime of day or night.
However, even with all the popularity, access, and acceptance around therapy today, the process of starting therapy can still be very daunting and scary. Being vulnerable with a complete stranger about your trauma, fears, desires, etc., is no easy task. Being vulnerable is scary! Please know that if you are nervous about starting the therapy process you are not alone and it’s okay. When I was in grad school and wanted to start my own therapy journey, I was terrified to start and I was in school to become a therapist. Being scared to start is completely understandable. Just take it one step at a time.
The first step is to find a therapist. You can do so by asking for a referral from your doctor or looking up different practices online. A great online resource is www.psychologytoday.com. You can look up therapists in your area and use filters to match your specifications such as insurance, specialties, and online or in person. Once you find a therapist the next step is to reach out and set up an appointment. Many practices have online scheduling options if making a phone call is too nerve-wracking for you. Expect to be sent quite a bit of paperwork but once you have it completed you’re good to go!
The first session will be an intake session. Intake sessions can be very different from regular sessions. I like to think of regular therapy sessions as a conversation. Intakes can feel a bit more like an interview as we are trying to get to know your entire life story in 50 to 75 minutes. The therapist will ask many questions, explain what therapy with them will look like, and go over practice policies. You can also ask the therapist questions as well! We want you to feel comfortable with us too.
The most important thing to remember when starting your therapy journey is that we therapists know that it is nerve-wracking to start and we are so proud of you for doing so. You are important and sometimes we all need help. It is always okay to ask for help and to want to seek out change. Change is uncomfortable but necessary to reach your goals. It’s time to lean into the discomfort and take that first step on your healing journey.