You may feel quite nervous about your first appointment and this is completely normal!  At your first appointment we will have a chat about what has brought you to seek therapy, what your current difficulties are, what has been happening in your life recently and also what has happened in the past.  We will think about what is keeping your difficulties going, explore your current strengths and resources and think about your goals for therapy.

 

These discussions will help us both build up a picture of your life (called a 'psychological formulation') and this will help us to understand how your past is linked to your present.  This process of developing a psychological formulation may sometimes take a few sessions but it is an important first step so we can get a clearer picture and it will help us to figure out what your goals are and what therapeutic approaches may help you best.

 

Therapy is very much a collaborative, two way process so we will think about how we can best work together within a safe, trusting therapeutic relationship to help you best meet your goals.

 

The first appointment will also allow you see if you think we can work together and if I’m the right therapist for you. It has been shown that the therapeutic relationship is a significant factor in getting better in therapy so it’s important you feel that we have a good ‘therapeutic fit’.

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Before your first appointment (and after we have had an initial chat on the phone) you will be emailed some standard terms & conditions to read over and also be asked to fill out a form which has basic contact information on it. All data will be stored confidentially and securely, you can find out further information regarding data collection and storage here.

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Everything that we discuss will be kept confidential unless I believe that there is a significant risk of harm to yourself or that other people may be at risk of harm. Confidentiality would be discussed fully at our first appointment together.

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In order to make your session as comfortable as possible, the rooms I use are soundproofed, have a welcoming and comfortable sofa to sit on, have soft furnishings, artwork plus plants and fresh flowers to make the room feel as therapeutic as possible. There is fresh drinking water available, tissues, hand sanitiser and toilets are available nearby. 

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