What happens in your first therapy session

Before the first session

It starts with a short message or a call. You do not need to explain everything at this stage. The contact form is not a secure channel, so a sentence or two about what you are looking for is plenty. Our practice coordinator will follow up within one business day to confirm your first appointment.

Before any full session there is a free 15-minute consultation. It is a short call to hear what you are looking for and confirm the fit, with no charge and no obligation to book anything afterwards. If you plan to use insurance, the practical side is simple. Benefits are verified for each person before a first session, so tell us your plan when you get in touch. Fees and the in-network list are on the rates page.

• A time that works: Office hours run Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm, Wednesday from 3:00pm to 9:00pm, and Saturday from 10:00am to 4:00pm.
• In the room or on screen: Meet at 400 N. Ashley Drive, Suite 1900 in downtown Tampa, or by secure video from anywhere in Florida.
• Nothing to rehearse: You do not need a tidy summary or the right clinical words. Your questions are a fine place to start.
• Teens: For anyone under eighteen, a parent or guardian is part of the process from the start. The teen therapy page explains how that works.

The first full session

The first full appointment is a longer intake session. Its job is to map your history and your goals, and to outline a plan. You describe what brought you in, in as much or as little detail as you want, and we look at what is happening now alongside what you would like to be different.

Expect questions about everyday life too: sleep, work or school, the people around you, and what has helped before, even a little. That last part matters. The work here usually starts from solution focused therapy, which pays close attention to what is already working, with CBT, ACT and DBT skills brought in where they fit. The point of the first session is not to solve everything. It is to understand the shape of things well enough to choose a sensible place to begin.

Brief questionnaires, if they help

Early on you may be offered a short questionnaire, such as the PHQ-9 for low mood or the GAD-7 for worry. Each takes a few minutes, they are always optional, and we review them together. They are a snapshot rather than a diagnosis, and they give us a simple way to check later whether the work is moving in the direction you wanted. The assessments page explains how they are used.

What happens after

The aim by the end of the first session is a shared sense of what to work on first and how often to meet. From there, ongoing care means regular sessions at a pace that suits you, adjusted as your needs change. Nothing is locked in. Along the way we check whether sessions are still useful and whether the direction still fits, and the plan changes when your life does.

Psi Wellness is an outpatient counseling practice. Diagnosis and medication sit with medical providers, and if either becomes part of the picture, I can help you connect with the right person. If you are in immediate danger, call 911, or call or text 988. The crisis resources page lists more urgent help lines.

Common questions