What to expect from your first online therapy session in Montana
Often times we know we’re struggling, but knowing how to seek help or start to make a change can feel really overwhelming and ambiguous. If you don’t have any previous experience with therapy, or maybe your past experiences with therapy weren’t necessarily your idea, it can be tough to know what to expect when seeking mental health services in Montana. What will happen in the first session? What am I committing to in regard to time, money, and action?
What will happen after you decide to schedule?
When you schedule your intake session for online therapy, you’ll receive an invite to join a therapy portal where you can log in to your therapy sessions, message your therapist between therapy sessions, and safely store important documents related to our work together.
What do you need to do to prepare for the first session?
There will be documents for you to review and sign on the portal prior to your first appointment, that outline your rights and responsibilities as a client during therapy, as well as gather insurance and payment information for billing. By the time you’ve gotten to the point of scheduling your first therapy session to receive mental health services in Montana, you typically already have an idea of what it is you’re struggling with and trying to change. Being ready to help your therapist understand how you’re struggling is really the only expectation of you during the first session.
What happens in the first session?
During your first session, the very first thing your therapist will do is make sure you understand your rights as a client receiving mental health services in Montana. Your therapist will provide some background information on themselves including their educational and professional background, as well as their personal style as a therapist. Next, your therapist will ask you a little bit about what you’ve been struggling with that brought you to seeking mental health services, and inquire about any previous experiences you may have had in therapy. Finally, you and your therapist will move onto a biopsychosocial assessment, which is really just your therapist asking you a bunch of questions about different parts of your life and your experiences, so they can start to understand your struggle and how to help.
Will I have homework?
Mental health services provided through Fostering Growth are very client-led, believing you are the expert on yourself. Homework is not a required aspect of the therapeutic process, and we typically do not give out “homework” as a part of our mental health services, but ultimately we are here to provide a service to you, meaning if you feel homework would be helpful and effective for your treatment we are happy to provide it. Typically it is more common for therapists to provide "handout" information to supplement what you are discussing in therapy sessions, as well as some regular outcome measures such as the PHQ-9 and GAD-7, which are simple assessment tools that help us track the severity of symptoms.
When will I have my next session?
Statistically, we consistently see the best outcomes when clients attend therapy on a regular weekly basis, and that will generally be the initial recommendation. However, the focus will always be on your well-being and support, and experience tells us that not everyone needs the same type or level of support. At the end of the day, you are the boss of your therapy experience with Fostering Growth, and the frequency at which you receive mental health services can be decided based on your needs and goals. Some support is better than no support, and because of that we strive to be flexible when it comes to scheduling, so don’t hesitate to express any concerns.
What if I don’t like what happened in the first session or I am not sure it is a good match?
One of the most important aspects of receiving mental health services is that you feel empowered in the process. You never have to continue with services that do not feel like a good fit for you and can discontinue your mental health services at any point. During the first therapy session, you and your therapist will have discussed a general idea of what it will look like and feel like if therapy is working. Your therapist will check in during your second therapy session about how you felt during and after that first session, and we encourage you to be genuine regarding your experience, or more importantly what you didn’t like. Hopefully, you and your therapist will be able to work together to address what it is that didn’t feel right during that first session, but as you progress through the therapeutic process, if you feel as though the services you are receiving aren’t producing change or relief, we encourage you to be genuine regarding your experience. Not every therapist is the best fit for every person, and that's okay. If you determine that your therapist is not the best fit for you, your therapist will be happy to provide you with referrals for other professionals in the area, that may be a better fit for your needs.
Making a change can be so hard, and starting something new and unknown while trying to make those changes is even harder. We understand that navigating mental health services in Montana is uncharted territory for so many people just like you, but we are here to help make it a little easier.
If you have any questions about starting online therapy or mental health services in Montana, feel free to contact us for a free 15-minute phone consultation. We are here to learn about what it is you are struggling with and help direct you to the right person for help. If you are looking for help with depression, anxiety, trauma, attachment, or identity exploration, you can read more about how I can help here.
