# Post you first session experience



## supreme.mugwump (Mar 13, 2009)

I could be wrong about this, but I think some people on this site are probably nervous about going to a therapist for the first time, and would like to be able to get a bit of a picture of what it's like in the first session. Would people find it helpful if we posted a short story about what happened in session 1? (Please don't post negative stuff!!). E.g. people might like to know about procedures, types of questions etc.

I'll go first:

So for me I found that the build up to the session was much scarier than the actual session. Once I got there, the receptionist had me fill out a form with my details, and I signed to say that I had read the privacy information etc. Then the psychologist came out to get me... once in the room, she made me very comfortable very quickly. I had been scared that I wouldn't know what to say, but she had this way of knowing just what prompts to give so that I didn't get too stuck. Basically she asked if I had been to counselling before, and what brought me to see her. Once I told her about the current issue she stepped back to get a little more background info on me. I just had to answer the questions, and it really wasn't so hard after all.


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## mixolydian (May 23, 2009)

Definitely the hardest parts were the making of the appontment and the wait between doing that and actually seeing the therapist, the actual session wasn't too bad. My first session was at the counselling service at my University which involved a 2 week period between the making of the appointment and the appointment itself. That was quite hard for me because I get quite bad anticipatory anxiety. When it came to the date I remember lying in bed just feeling so crap and thinking that I was such a complete failure and screw up that I was going into therapy but fortunately I was able to overcome that and force myself to the appointment. Once there it was simply a matter of filling out some confidentiality forms and then after a pretty brief wait in the waiting room I was taken into the therapising room where I was therapised. For people who are too scared to go, all I can say is you've got to force yourself to do it, it was such a relief to get my emotions off my chest and to finally feel that there was a way out of my problems. They'll be able to give you some guidance, motivation and hopefully get you the right treatment.


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## supreme.mugwump (Mar 13, 2009)

Hey, good advice Mix  It's very true.


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## Happ2beme (Jul 13, 2009)

> I was taken into the therapising room where I was therapised.


You made my day.


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## Toad Licker (Nov 2, 2007)

I was extremely nervous at my first counselor appointment, I couldn't even look at her while talking. It was one of the first things she asked me about, I told her how nervous I was and had a small panic attack. So for me it was pretty bad but I did survive it though it took years before I could really look at my counselor while talking with them.


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## timeout (Aug 29, 2009)

*first one*

My first session is next week i will have detailed post then I hope it helps I am sick of SA


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## supreme.mugwump (Mar 13, 2009)

timeout said:


> My first session is next week i will have detailed post then I hope it helps I am sick of SA


Good luck Timeout! Hope it goes well for you.


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## Alicia2009 (Aug 13, 2009)

Thanks for the insight. 
I was totally nervous about my upcoming therapy session. I watched clips on youtube and saw that people would have to go out and face their fears while the therapist evaluates them. Since seeing that, I have canceled my sessions twice already. Now I see that It is not so bad after all.


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## Steve123 (Sep 13, 2009)

Thank you for this, my first session is scheduled for next friday and I'm a bit nervous, but this has been good.


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## CosmicNeurotica (Sep 26, 2009)

I understand for the benefit of others who may be nervous and about to start their first session, but my first visit was negative and is the reason I never tried to go again for the last 9 years up to now. But I guess I won't give any details. 
I wish I could go back to that lady now though 9 years later so she could see how miserable I am.


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## Alexander XVII (Jan 10, 2010)

I had a similar experience with therapy, but I didn't start going because of Social Anxiety. In fact, I didn't even know that I had it until I had already been going for a while. Don't get me wrong, I mean I definitely showed signs, but I guess I always wrote them off as just being really shy... In any case, my first session seemed like the scariest thing in the world from about an hour beforehand until it started. I went with my parents the first time so my mother did most of the talking, and it didn't end up being so bad. Even the second session was fairly easy. It was the third when the silence started. The waiting before each one continued to be nerve-wracking up until very recently.


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## nemaiv (Jan 3, 2010)

My first session was pleasant but way too short. It was a months waiting time before I actually saw the therapist/social worker after making the initial appointment. So by the time I actually went I just wanted to get it over with.

The entire hour was just him asking questions about my past. There was was very little or no discussion about anxiety.

Unfortunately I sort of fell out with that guy after a few sessions and stopped going. But I continued to see another doctor at the same clinic (psychiatrist) for awhile because she seemed to know more about Sa and was more understanding. My first session with her was even more pleasant than the other first session. In the same amount of time she took my history, asked about my anxiety, mentioned some tips and book that I should read and took me off the meds that my GP + the social worker insisted that I be on.


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