The first session will help your psychologist to understand the difficulties you're encountering and any relevant background information. They may ask what you're hoping to achieve by the end of your sessions together.
Establishing Needs: Your therapist will need to know why you're seeking therapy. They may ask what kinds of needs or issues you'd like to address in your treatment together as well as what you've done to manage your mental health in the past.
And depending on what type of therapy, they might dig a bit further into your past and ask you about your family and early childhood experiences. Ultimately, in this first session, your therapist is looking to build up a picture of how you've come to where you are today, and what you're looking to get out of therapy.
Your first appointment will be a lot like a first date without the fear that the person sitting across from you might not like you. A therapist isn't going to sit you down and instantly label you with some kind of mental health moniker at your first appointment. They need to get to know more about you first.
The reason for this is that mental health symptoms can affect self-care, vocational, life skills and relationship aspects of life. With all this being said, an accurate diagnosis for mental health disorders can take weeks to years to determine.
The number of recommended sessions varies by condition and treatment type, however, the majority of psychotherapy clients report feeling better after 3 months; those with depression and anxiety experience significant improvement after short and longer time frames, 1-2 months & 3-4.
Your first session is about getting to know one another and learn about your history and give you some time to get used to being in a therapy room and talking about your life and history. It gives you time to get used to your therapist and see how you feel around them.
Sessions may start with a check in about how you have been since the last appointment and then move into discussing the things that you are having difficulty with, how you may move through these things effectively as well as strategies to manage these difficulties.
Create time and space for yourself after your session
You might even have trouble recalling what you spoke about, what the key take-aways were or how you felt. For therapy to be effective, we need to remember it. Carving out space to reflect on your session and to let things settle is essential.
However, most psychologists are not primarily looking at chemical imbalances, but instead, are focusing on the patient's thoughts and emotional state. They also assess the patient's mental health overall. They can test patients and provide treatment for mental disorders.
Generic psychology survey questions for questionnaires
On a scale of 1 to 7, 7 being the highest, how happy do you consider yourself? Compare to your colleagues or friends, do you consider yourself happier than most of them? How often do you feel lonely? How often do you feel depressed?
To be more precise, what are the four goals of psychology? In a general sense, they are to describe, explain, predict, and control behavior and mental processes. Each of these goals represents a different focus that psychologists can take when studying a phenomenon.
No – they won't make the decisions for you. But they will give you the tools and provide you with the psychological support you need to make the best decision possible for yourself.
Understanding your rights with diagnosis disclosure
For example, it's your right to ask your therapist to tell you if they believe you have a mental health condition. If you want a diagnosis, you can ask your therapist upfront. The same applies if you don't want to hear about this information.
Consider sharing with your therapist that you're hesitant to share everything, even if you're not ready to share the details you've been omitting. Your therapist may provide you with some skills that can help you open up more. Or they might ask you what you need to feel more inclined to be open.
Your psychologist will ask questions like whether you've noticed any changes in your sleeping habits, appetite or other behaviors. A psychologist will also want to know what kind of social support you have, so he or she will also ask about your family, friends and coworkers.
Everyone has intrusive thoughts. The only difference between people with OCD and people without OCD is the way they respond to them. To help your therapist figure out ways to address your intrusive thoughts more effectively, you need to share your thoughts and the way you have been responding to them.