Getting help for the first time

[julia241977]

I'm planning on going to counseling for the first time. How should I prepare? What should I expect? Where do I even begin when talking about my mental health? It seems so daunting.

[Dying_Swan]

Hi Julia.

Well done for taking that step. It's difficult to know what to advise because all counsellors and therapists are different, and also use different psychological theories and techniques. I've had various therapists over the years though and they always tend to start off with an assessment session, where they'll take a bit of history from you and hopefully talk about what's brought you to counselling and what you hope to get out of it. It might help to jot those things down so that you feel clear about your hopes. Depending on the type of counselling, it might also be worth asking for an idea of time scales. Some types of therapy are quite brief, others are much longer.

Good luck.

[AntsyVee]

Kudos to you for being proactive and taking the first step :yesyes:

[julia241977]

Thanks for the encouragement and advice you two! Means a lot :)

[LouiseAndy]

Sometimes making the first step can be the hardest! One once you get the ball rolling it's all so wroth it x I wish you well !