Getting Started With Therapy: What the First Session Is Like
By Counseling & Treatment Center of Utah · 2025-06-16
The hardest part of therapy is often just walking in the door. Knowing what to expect can make that first step easier. Here’s how a first session usually goes.
Mostly, it’s a conversation
Your first session is about getting to know each other. Your therapist will ask what brings you in, a bit about your history, and what you’d like to be different. There’s no test and no wrong answers — you share only what you’re comfortable with.
Setting goals together
By the end, you’ll usually have a sense of how you’ll work together and what the next steps look like. Therapy moves at your pace — you’re in the driver’s seat the whole way.