- 4 min read
What should you ask any therapist before a first session?
Short answer
Ask about training and who accredited it, whether they are in supervision themselves, what happens if it gets too much mid-session, how you will both know the therapy is helping, and what happens if it is not. A good therapist answers concretely and does not take offence at being asked.
People rarely ask anything before a first session. Partly because making the call was hard enough already, and partly because it feels like checking up on someone who is supposed to be the authority.
But this is a service you are paying for, and one that can shake you. You would ask the same questions of the person fixing your roof.
Nine questions
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01
essential
What is your training, and who accredited it?
The name of the accrediting body, not just the name of a course. "Psychotherapist" is not a protected title everywhere.
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02
essential
Are you in supervision yourself?
A therapist who reviews their work with nobody has no corrective. The answer should be yes, with a frequency.
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03
important
Do you work often with what I am bringing?
"I work with everything" is a weaker answer than a list of what they do often, rarely, and not at all.
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04
essential
What happens if it gets too much mid-session?
There should be a concrete agreed procedure, described before it is needed.
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05
important
How will we know it is helping?
Something checkable — sleep, avoidance, how often the attacks come. Not just "you will feel better".
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06
important
What if it is not helping?
A good answer includes a timeframe and a plan B, including a referral to someone else.
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07
useful
Roughly how many sessions, and when will you know?
An honest answer is a range plus the point at which the estimate gets sharper. An exact number up front is a sale.
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08
useful
What is kept, for how long, and who can see it?
You should get a clear answer without hesitation, and in writing if you ask.
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09
essential
Can I stop whenever I want?
The answer is always yes. If an explanation of why that would be a mistake follows, that is information about the therapist.
What is a bad sign
- Taking offence at any of these questions
- Promising a number of sessions before knowing what they are working with
- A package paid up front that cannot be stopped
- A claim that the method works for everyone and everything
- Pressure to book now, or "there is one place left"
These nine work as well with me as with anyone else. I have also made them into a list you can print and take with you.
Ask me them on the first call
Twenty minutes on the phone, no charge. None of these questions is awkward for me and all of them are useful.