Video of Kellie Brown, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Nationally Board Certified Counselor, and Owner of Quiet Water Counseling & Rene Morago, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Owner of Morago Counseling Services. Listen as we discuss what a typical first counseling session is like.
What is the first counseling session like?
So you decided to take a leap of faith and sign up for counseling. What is next?
Many of my clients start with a free 20-minute consultation session. When you schedule this my computer system automatically sends over some paperwork to fill out before we meet. This paperwork helps me to get an idea on how I can best help you. As with doctors, counselors also specialize in the types of problems and issues they help with. For example, I see adult clients for individual therapy. So if someone is looking for marriage counseling, I would want to know early on so I could refer them to a marriage counselor.
During the first meeting, that 20-minute free consultation, you get an opportunity to ask any questions you have and basically see if you feel comfortable enough to start counseling. Counseling is a huge commitment and I want to make sure that all my clients feel comfortable moving forward. Often times at the end of that consultation we set up that first full counseling session at a time that works best for you. I really try to see my clients on the same day and time every week because I have found that having a consistent routine helps people the best.
After you schedule the first full counseling session I normally send over more paperwork so I can get a better picture of what is going on. It can seem like a lot when you get it, but all of it is very important because it helps me narrow down exactly what we need to work on and where we need to focus in order to help you reach your goals. Before your first counseling session it is very common to be nervous. If you have any questions just ask, that is what I am here for.
During that very first full counseling session we review everything that you shared and go over what your goals are for your future. I really try to focus on what is going right in your life, so we can build upon that, instead of just focusing on the negative. That being said, I do want to know how hard things are so I know where to focus our efforts. Often times at this point people are very worried about telling me ALL the tough stuff, and aren’t ready to go into ALL the details. That is okay. As long as I can get a general idea of what the problem is, we can save the really hard/embarrassing stuff for another day because there are lots of other things we can start to work on to help you to feel better in the meantime.
Starting counseling is a huge step and you should be proud of yourself for even thinking about doing this. If you ever have any questions please reach out to me. My email is hello@QuietWaterCounseling.com and it is my pleasure to help however I can.
About the Author
Kellie Brown is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified in EMDR. She provides online counseling throughout Florida.
Kellie Brown is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida as well as a Nationally Board Certified Counselor. She is a Certified EMDR therapist and specializes in providing trauma informed care for her clients in Florida. She knows that starting counseling is a huge step but that it can be life changing. She loves seeing her clients succeed with their goals and living their best lives.
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