THE INITIAL CONSULTATION

It is not uncommon to feel apprehensive about starting therapy. The first encounter with a therapist might be both a relief and a source of anxiety. Knowing what to expect can help you feel more prepared.

• The first session is a consultation and lasts 60 minutes. It helps ease you into therapy and initiates the process of working together. It serves to understand some of the difficulties that may have led you to seek help.

• This initial consultation is structured differently to on-going therapy sessions.

• I am likely to ask questions about what has brought you to therapy, concerns you want to deal with, and about how you would like your life to be after therapy. 

• It is a chance to share how your low mood, depression or anxiety might be impacting upon your life and relationships.

The initial consultation helps you decide if therapy could be helpful; if it is a relationship that you feel might be useful, and also provides an opportunity to discuss concerns you may have. It allows you to decide whether you are going to feel comfortable with us working together. The consultation is an opportunity for us to assess how good the fit is between us. By the end of this session we can then decide whether to continue with further appointments.

• I hold all initial consultations at my London Bridge practice.  The initial consultation does not commit you to continuing with therapy.

• Please note that my other London locations in Forest Hill and Waterloo do not have a waiting room.