Many people are curious what they can expect in coming to see a psychologist. Many people feel anxious about the process and that is completely normal. During our first meeting, we will discuss what brings you into the office, and that reason will shape the work we will determine together going forward. You may see me for an intake assessment, which will involve talking together about your life history and presenting complaints and your strengths. We will discuss the people in your life and what you like and what you might want to change. We would discuss recommendations that would best suit your needs and a plan to meet those needs. If individual or group therapy is indicated or desired, we would talk about those options and agree together on a plan for going forward.
If you are seeing me for a substance abuse evaluation, we would most likely meet once. The details for the evaluation are available on my webpage in a separate link. Sometimes people would like to see me if treatment is needed, and I offer individual and group options for treatment. Very often, I refer people to other programs depending on the client’s geographical and insurance or financial needs.
In any event, the first session is a great opportunity to get to know each other, to understand what might be going on for you at a deeper level, and to get a clear and helpful direction for improving your life in motion.