What to Expect from the First Appointment
Let’s Say you’ve made the decision to start counseling, you signed up for your free consultation, you chatted on the phone with me, and we scheduled you for your first appointment to start counseling.
If you’re like me, you might be wondering, what are we going to do at that first appointment? What is it going to be like? Well, I want to take away the guesswork today and tell you exactly what to expect.
In a snapshot:
The first appointment can be called different things. I like to use the word, “Intake”.
It’ll be scheduled for 60 minutes.
You’ll get sent a link beforehand to set up your online portal where you’ll find some documents I’ve sent to you to look over and fill out.
When a child under 13 is starting counseling as the receiver of services, the intake is done with the caregivers/ legal guardians and the legal guardians sign the paperwork.
Because of WA State law, if the child is 13 and older, the child will sign the paperwork (because they give legal consent). Even in that case, parent attendance is still always encouraged and appreciated, if also welcomed by the child/teen.
What’s the purpose of the appointment?
To make sure you have all the Information you need about the technical stuff: your rights, how I protect your privacy, office policies, etc. I will review the documents that were sent to you, and I will answer any questions you have about them.
To get a better understanding of your situation and history. This part of the intake is usually more conversational and I just want to get a clear picture of what’s going on for you and or your child.
To gather data about the concern/issue, so I can better understand it and so we can track your or your child’s progress in future sessions. I will use some assessments for this part and have you rate your answers on a scale and sometimes you’ll just answer yes or no. I will review the results and provide feedback.
To choose a goal or desired outcome of therapy we can be working towards, this is called the treatment plan. The treatment plan outlines the goal and the steps we will take towards the goal.
The intake appointment is packed, but it seems to go by quickly because there is usually a lot to cover! By the end of it, you should have a solid understanding of the policies, feel more familiar with me and how I work, and what the next steps will be for us. At the end of the appointment, we will get you and/or your child scheduled for your next appointment where we can get right to work on our plan.
Ready to take that next step?
Hope to hear from you soon,
Olivia
