Congratulations, you’ve decided to start going to therapy. It’s a big, often scary step and you should be proud of yourself for prioritizing your mental wellbeing. Now that you’ve found a provider and your appointment is scheduled, though, you’re wondering what to even talk about during a session. No worries, that’s totally normal. Luckily, many first therapy appointments follow a similar formula. “The therapist will typically guide the first session in order to conduct an intake evaluation,” says Michele Goldman, Psychologist and Hope for Depression Research Foundation media advisor. “This session might include information about your work, platonic and romantic relationships, medical history, family history and mental health history, etc.
As for what to talk about once the basics have been covered, Goldman tells us that there’s really no right or wrong thing to bring up. “The time is yours, so you choose how you use it. If you feel a desire to talk about something, then that is something you should talk about. There is no topic that is off limits.”
Still, because this is a brand-new experience and it can feel overwhelming to talk about yourself and your feelings to a complete stranger, we asked Goldman for a few jumping-off points. From the things that have stopped you from going to therapy in the past to your goals for your time in therapy, here are six things to talk about.
