Your First Therapy Session: What to Expect and How to Prepare
What happens at a therapy intake, the questions you’ll likely be asked, what to bring, and the questions to ask your new therapist before you commit.
Free tool
Therapy Session Prep
A simple template to capture what happened this week, what you want to talk about and questions for your therapist.
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How to use it
- Jot moments from the week as they happen.
- Pick the one thing you most want to talk about.
- Add questions for your therapist.
- Copy or print your notes before the session.
Why it helps
Therapy is one hour a week. Bringing specific moments and a clear focus makes sessions far more productive.
Everything you type stays in your browser on this device. Nothing is sent to us. This tool is for education and self-reflection, not diagnosis or treatment. In crisis? Call or text 988.
Learn more
Articles that go with this tool
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Prompts and topics for therapy sessions, from small everyday moments to the core beliefs underneath, plus what to do when you have “nothing to say.”
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What Actually Happens in Therapy (That Nobody Explains Before You Start)
Most people walk into therapy expecting advice. What effective therapy actually involves is different, and knowing that gap is one of the best ways to stay long enough for it to work.
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