Therapy 101

What is your why? Check in with your needs and goals for your therapy experience! It is completely normal to feel nervous about embarking on the therapy journey – but remind yourself of your why and that taking the first step is the start to allow yourself to heal.

Common Questions About Therapy

Some common questions to ask yourself when beginning the therapy search are:

Would you prefer in-person or telehealth services?
Do you need your insurance to cover services? If so, what does your insurance cover?
Are there qualifications that would help your needs (ex: a trauma-focused therapist)?

The First Session/Intake

The first session can often feel overwhelming as the therapist is trying to gather information to assess how they can meet your needs. This is also an opportunity to discuss your own needs, concerns, and what you are hoping to achieve in therapy. Remember – you are getting to know your therapist during the first session just as much as your therapist is getting to know you. The most important thing is that you leave your first session feeling comfortable with your therapist. If you don’t, that might be a sign that your therapist is not the right fit.

Therapeutic Boundaries

Therapists are required to follow a code of ethics that helps maintain a professional and appropriate relationship with clients. If you would like to read more about these ethics, click this link:

Ethical & Professional Standards (counseling.org)

Therapeutic Modalities

There are various modalities that a therapist might subscribe to in their practice. Therapeutic modalities are overarching interventions and approaches that therapists use to assist their clients in session (and sometimes even out of session!). A basic overview of these modalities can be found here: