Before you start
You will usually be asked to complete a short intake form covering your history, any medication, and what brings you in. It exists so the session itself can be spent talking rather than on administration.
The first few minutes
Your therapist will explain confidentiality and its limits, how sessions are scheduled, and how they work. This is the moment to ask anything practical: fees, cancellations, how long they expect the work to take.
The bulk of the hour
They will ask what brought you here and listen. You do not need a rehearsed account, and you are not expected to arrive at an answer. It is normal to spend the first session simply describing the situation.
How it ends
Most therapists close by reflecting back what they heard, offering an initial sense of how they might work with you, and agreeing on a next step.
If the fit is wrong
Fit matters more than credentials, and you are allowed to change therapists. Saying "I don't think this is the right match" is a legitimate and common thing to say.
