1. Come prepared with your thoughts.

Take some time to reflect on your thoughts and feelings. It might be helpful to make some notes and even bring them to the session with you.

For a first session, what are the most significant needs or thoughts or even events that you want to share? Also, think about any questions that you might have about therapy itself and the process.

If you already know that you might be time-limited on the number of sessions you can have, it can be helpful to share this in the first session too.

2. Arrive a few minutes early

Having a few moments to gather our thoughts in the waiting room can be beneficial. Imagine if you are running into a session, out of breath, gasping for a drink. The first five minutes are then taken up composing yourself.

3. Work between your sessions

Therapy doesn’t end when you leave the room. Reflecting on the content of your sessions between sessions can often lead to further enlightenment or processing. We may have discussed different ways to approach scenarios or talked about tools and techniques that you can apply in your day-to-day life. Make a mental note, or even a physical one, to try these out when you can. It can be helpful to share how these went for you at subsequent sessions too.