What to Expect at Your First Session

Many families arrive at their first session with early concerns and a lot of uncertainty. If you would like to understand when early support can be helpful and how we approach this work, you can read more on our Early Support for Children page.

For child/adolescent clients, the initial session is with the client and their parent/carer, as it is when a detailed background and history of the client is explored and therapy goals are set. 

Subsequent sessions usually include a brief "catch-up" at the beginning of the session with the client and their parent/carer, where any concerns/changes that has occured since the previous session are discussed - session goals can be adjusted based on the recent concerns/changes. This ensures that each session is person-centred and tailored to the client and their present experiences. The majority of the session is then spent with the client, and if needed, the remaining 5-10 mins is used as an opportunity to discuss with their parent/carer about the session and ways to support the client until their next session.

For adult clients, a similar approach to the child/adolescent clients is taken; however, a support person is welcome to attend the session as per the client's request.

For couples clients, the initial session focuses on understanding your relationship history, the current areas of concern, and what has brought you to therapy at this time. This session is structured to give both partners the opportunity to share their perspectives and experiences, while the therapist begins to understand the dynamics, strengths, and areas of distress within the relationship.