Preparing for Therapy

What to Expect During Your First Therapy Session

It’s normal to feel nervous trying something new. Whether this is your first time in therapy or your first time seeing someone at Adaptive, we hope this page makes the process easier.

Parents have an important role in the therapy process. For information on what to expect when preparing an appointment for a child or teen.

Before Your First Appointment

  1. Do you have a preference for a therapist? Everyone has a different specialty and approach. Who might be a good fit for you? You can learn more about our therapist
    team on our “About” tab.
  2. You may request services by calling us or using our website. Many of our clients are placed on a waiting list before services due to an increased need for services in our
    area. Waiting times vary and may be several months.
  3. Front desk staff will call to schedule your first appointment as availability allows. They will discuss payment policies, gather more information about you, and answer any
    questions you may have.
  4. After setting up your initial appointment, you will receive an email with a link to our Patient Portal. By filling out your forms, your therapist gathers important information about you. You will be asked questions about your medical and mental health history, your symptoms, and how you’re feeling. Before you begin, it may be helpful to have a list of current medications available.
  5. Consider what your goals for therapy are. What brings you to therapy? You may wish to write these down and discuss them in your first session.

The Day of Your Appointment

  1. When you arrive, please check in with the office staff.
  2. You will meet with your therapist in their office. Our offices are comfortable and quiet and set up similar to living rooms. Your therapist will introduce themselves and begin
    to gather information on you and what you want to accomplish.
  3. You and your therapist will discuss a timeframe for future sessions and a plan for moving forward.
  4. All of our services are confidential and your privacy is important to us. If you have any questions about confidentiality or HIPPA, please feel free to ask.

After Your First Appointment

It’s a good idea to spend some time in reflection after your session.

  1. Do you feel like this therapist is a good fit for you?
  2. Were there things you wanted to talk about that didn’t come up?
  3. Was there something new you learned that you want to remember?
  4. You can make a list of questions you’d like to ask at your next session.

Parents of Young Children (under 13)

Parent/s or guardian/s should be present for the first appointment. It’s possible you won’t be in the session the whole time, however it is helpful to have you available if there are questions or concerns. If there is important information that needs to be shared without the child present, please use the patient portal to send a private message to your therapist. If the therapist has more questions, they will contact you to set up a phone call prior to the session.

Your therapist will use play and art to engage your child in building a trusting relationship. If there are certain situations that you would like addressed in session, please make the therapist aware at the beginning of the appointment.

Parents of Older Children (13 and older)

Parent/s or guardian/s should be present for the first part of the session. If your child wishes for you to stay for the full session, that is fine. Some teens prefer to meet individually and this is common. If you have any concerns prior to the session please notify the therapist at the beginning of the session or by using the patient portal.

Become a Client

Adaptive Counseling & Case Management is currently accepting new clients. The first step is to review our process and tell us about yourself.

Let's Get Started