The First Appointment: What to Expect
I’m thinking of scheduling my first appointment. What should I expect?
If you’re considering making your first therapy appointment, you may have questions as well as a mix of emotions and thoughts running through your body and mind. Because the territory you’ll explore in therapy may be uncharted and what you’ll discover along the way is unknown, even though therapy is a process of growth, increased understanding and self-reflection that seeks to give you relief from the pain you feel; you may have some anticipatory nervousness about starting. To answer some of the questions you may have (and hopefully ease some of your concerns), this blog post will familiarize you with the process of starting our work together.
Setting an Appointment
There are a few different ways you can contact me to schedule an appointment. You can:
Email me at mariana@brainmindbodytherapy.com
Reach me by phone at (203) 293-4395
Submit your information through the Contact tab on this website
Email or the Contact tab are the most time-efficient ways to reach me.
Once you reach out, I will get in touch with you to schedule a free 20-minute consultation. This consultation can happen via phone or video, depending on your preference. Some people like to hold a video meeting with their prospective therapist so that they can get their questions answered as well as get a feel for whether the connection feels right. Others prefer a phone call, and find a conversation sufficient to assess whether they’d like to pursue working together. Aside from the chance to familiarize ourselves with one another, the consultation helps us identify whether we are a good fit in terms of availability, service fees, and the initial concerns that bring you to therapy.
If we decide to move forward with scheduling an initial appointment, I will prepare your onboarding paperwork, your profile in my online system, and send you an email with instructions to log in, create an account in the client portal, and fill out the necessary paperwork.
Between the Consultation and our First Meeting
Between the phone consultation and our first session together, there are some things that you will need to do. They include:
Completing all onboarding paperwork a minimum of 24 hours prior to the first session, so I can review what you submit online and prepare for our meeting. Please also complete and bring any paperwork emailed to you to your first session.
If we’ll be meeting virtually, please ensure that you have a distraction-free, private space where you can be for the duration of the session;
Reflect on your goals and expectations for our work together. This helps us both have clarity about the work we’ll set out to do, and have an open conversation about the scope and limitations of therapy.
The Day of our First Meeting
If we’re meeting virtually, a few minutes before the session each week, you will receive an email with a link to connect to my secure telehealth platform. If you ever have trouble connecting or navigating the telehealth platform, please email or call me so I can help you troubleshoot.
If you’ll see me in person, we’ll discuss arrival procedures when we set up your first appointment.
The First Session
When we meet for session for the first time, here’s what you can expect:
I will answer any additional questions that you may have after the consultation call;
We will discuss the limits to confidentiality;
I will ask further questions about the concerns that bring you to therapy so that I can get an understanding of how I can help;
We will discuss my treatment approach;
Time permitting, we will do some somatic, IFS or Brainspotting work so you can get a feel for what it can be like to work with me;
I will ask if you want to pursue ongoing sessions, and, if so, we’ll determine a mutually agreeable schedule for our work together.
After the First Session
I usually recommend that, if at all possible, you give yourself a buffer of time between your session and another task or activity that requires your focus and attention. Whether it is a 20 minute drive to your next destination when you can listen to music you enjoy or a 15-20 minute snack break after a virtual session, having some “in-between” time can be helpful. With both somatic and brain-based therapies, the work continues after the session concludes. Having some time between session and whatever comes next in your day helps your mind and body orient to what’s to come without interrupting the process started during our work together.
As you focus on your mental and emotional health in therapy, it may also be helpful to take good care of yourself in other ways, such as trying to eat nutritious foods, drinking plenty of water, getting movement/exercise into your day, getting a good amount of sleep daily, connecting with people whose company feels nurturing, and engaging in activities you enjoy as a complement to the work we do in therapy. As a holistic therapist, I know that our physical, mental and emotional health are connected, and that the gains made in one area positively impact the others.
If lifestyle changes feel like a lot to implement right now, please know that you don’t have to focus on it right away. As you make progress in therapy, it may become easier and/or more desirable to take care of yourself in other ways.
My goal for our time together is that you feel welcomed, heard, understood, supported and empowered to make the changes you desire to set you on the path you want your life to take.
I hope that this information helps you take the next right step forward for you. If you have further questions or would like to schedule a consultation or an appointment, please reach out. I look forward to connecting.