Lowering the fear (and friction) around that first call.
Starting therapy feels bigger than it actually is.
That’s not to minimize it—it is a meaningful step.
Reaching out takes courage. But the version many people have in their heads? Where they have to perfectly articulate their deepest pain to a stranger, hold it together without getting emotional, and immediately know whether this is going to work?
That, my friend, is a fantasy. Here’s what it actually looks like when you start therapy.
The first step is just a conversation.
Most practices, including ours, start with a brief, no-obligation initial conversation. You’re not committing to anything. It’s a quick vibe-check as we cover the basics: what you’re looking for, insurance, schedule/availability, etc.
Then you’ll be matched with a therapist for an intake, an assessment of where you are, where you’ve been and how we move forward. You don’t have to have your whole story organized. You don’t have to arrive with a clear understanding of what’s wrong or a tidy summary of your life.
Your therapist will ask you questions about how you’ve been feeling, when you first noticed that, along with a lot of questions about your life context. From this, we will discern the most appropriate diagnosis before moving forward together.
Your job? Just show up and say something true.
What about first appointment anxiety?
Totally normal. Most people feel some kind of nervous before their first session.
What they usually find on the other side is that it’s much more like a real conversation than they expected—and that a good therapist will do a lot of the work to help you find your footing. You’re not expected to know what to do or what to say. It’s not up to you to carry the whole thing.
What if I cry?
Then… you cry. It happens—regularly. Therapy makes space for things that don’t always have a place to land in regular life, and sometimes that means emotions show up. Your therapist is not going to be shocked or surprised. No one is going to judge you.
Crying is not a sign that you’re falling apart—it’s often a sign that something real is finally getting room to breathe.
What about confidentiality?
Like Vegas, what happens in therapy, stays in therapy. What you share stays between you and your therapist. There are narrow legal exceptions—primarily if there’s imminent risk of harm—and your therapist will walk you through those clearly. But as a general rule, your sessions are private.
You get to talk freely, without it following you outside the room, whether that room is real or virtual.
How does therapy actually work?
Differently for different people—and that’s on purpose. Therapy isn’t one-size-fits-all.
In early sessions, your therapist will spend time getting to know your history, your patterns, and what you’re hoping for. Over time, you’ll start to see connections you didn’t see before, develop tools that actually work for your brain, and shift the patterns that haven’t been serving you.
It’s not linear. It’s not always comfortable. But it’s real work that creates real change.
How long does it take?
There’s no universal answer. Some people feel considerably better in a few months. Others work through deeper, more layered experiences over a longer stretch of time.
What you can count on is that you’ll be tracking progress together—this isn’t something that just happens willy-nilly. You and your therapist set goals together, check in on them, and adjust as you go.
A few myths worth clearing up.
Therapy is not just venting. It’s not advice-giving. It’s not only for people who’ve been through severe trauma. (We welcome people who have experienced all levels of trauma.)
You don’t have to be in a crisis. And you don’t have to stick with a therapist who isn’t a good fit—just like finding the right dentist or doctor, it sometimes takes more than one try.
The hardest part of therapy is usually just starting.
You don’t have to feel ready. You don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to take the very next step.We’ll help you figure out the rest. Start HERE.