Great question! We strive to meet two main goals in the first session and both are aimed to benefit the client. Meeting these goals, helps people determine if their counselor is a good fit for them. It is crucial for clients to be comfortable being themselves, able to communicate openly and to build trust with their counselor.

For the first goal, we want you to get a very good feel for who you’re working with. We want to help you clarify from the start if you are comfortable with your counselor and the format of counseling. We want you to get a sense for how your counselor listens, thinks and interacts. This sets the stage for a strong working partnership and is crucial for a good client experience. The second goal is aimed at getting a better sense of what the client hopes to address. Here, the counselor will listen to and support the client in identifying what the client is facing and hopes to achieve.

We try to make the counseling experience as comfortable as possible. For our in-office meetings, we offer a cozy setting (almost like asking you to come sit in our living room with us). It’s common for a client to tell us they were surprised with how easy it was to meet us and share so much in just one session. Standard sessions are 45 minutes in length. The initial session tends to be closer to 1 hour.

Sometimes clients are a little unsure of what they are hoping to get out of counseling and that is okay as well. We try to meet people where they are. Obviously, people start counseling because they are hoping for some sort of change. Even if you are unsure what change you are hoping for, we can assist you in defining your goals. If you have additional questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.