What to Expect in Your First Therapy Session

Your first therapy session doesn’t begin with a spotlight on you or a demand to share your deepest struggles. It starts with something much simpler: a welcome, a conversation, and the space to take a breath.

Many people arrive feeling a mix of curiosity and nerves. What if I don’t know what to say? What if I cry? What if therapy doesn’t work for me? These questions are more common than you might think, and part of the first session is easing those worries.

Here’s What To Expect

A Warm Welcome

Your therapist will begin by introducing themselves and giving you a chance to get comfortable. This might include a quick orientation to the space (or the online platform, if you’re meeting virtually) and a brief overview of how sessions work. The goal is simple: to help you feel at ease before diving in.

Creating a Safe Foundation

Before any real “work” begins, your therapist will explain how confidentiality works. This means you can speak freely, knowing that what you share will be kept private, with only a few safety-related exceptions. For many clients, hearing this out loud is the moment they feel the first bit of relief: This is my space. I can finally exhale.

Beginning the Conversation

Once you’re comfortable, the conversation starts naturally. Some clients come in with a clear story: “I’m here because anxiety has taken over my life.” Others begin with something as simple as: “I don’t even know where to start.” Both are completely okay.

Your therapist’s role in this first session isn’t to push you into sharing more than you want. Instead, they’ll listen closely, ask a few gentle questions, and help you put words to the experiences that feel hardest to carry alone.

Psychotherapy is an evidence-based approach recommended by organizations like CAMH to help with a wide range of challenges, from anxiety to trauma.

Finding Direction Together

As the session unfolds, your therapist may ask what you’re hoping to get out of therapy. Do you want to feel less overwhelmed at work? Process a painful loss? Understand yourself better? Sometimes the answer is clear, and sometimes it’s not, and that’s perfectly fine. The first session is about beginning to chart a path forward, not about having everything figured out.

Walking Away With Clarity

By the end of the session, most people don’t feel “fixed”, but they do feel lighter. You’ll leave with a clearer picture of what therapy can offer and what the next steps might look like, whether that’s scheduling weekly sessions, exploring different approaches, or simply giving yourself permission to keep going.

The most important thing you take away? The knowledge that you’ve already done the hardest part: showing up.

What You Don’t Need to Worry About

You don’t need to rehearse. You can show up exactly as you are.
You won’t be pushed. You control the pace and what you choose to share.
There are no wrong answers. Therapy isn’t a test; it’s a space to be human.

How to Prepare (If You’d Like)

Some clients find it helpful to jot down a few notes before the session:

A couple of things you’d like to talk about.
Any specific questions you have for your therapist.
What you hope therapy might help you with.

But if you don’t prepare at all, that’s okay too. Many people show up unsure of where to begin, and that’s exactly what therapy is for.

Therapy in Burlington and Halton

At Private Matters Psychotherapy, we support clients across Burlington, Oakville, Hamilton, and the Halton region. Whether you’re navigating anxiety, trauma, grief, ADHD, or relationship challenges, your first session is the beginning of finding clarity, safety, and support.

If you’d like to learn more about the approaches we use, visit our Therapy Services page to see the different ways our team can support you.

Psychotherapy And EMDR, Burlington ON