What to Expect in Your First Therapy Session at Kindful Psychology Services:

A Guide to Your First Therapy Session

Starting therapy can feel like a big step, bringing both hope and uncertainty. At Kindful Psychology Services, we understand that reaching out for help takes courage. Whether you’re dealing with anxiety, burnout, trauma, or just feeling stuck, your first session is designed to help you feel comfortable, supported, and heard.

This guide walks you through what to expect in your first therapy session, what to bring, how our clinicians work, and how to get the most out of your experience.

Understanding What Therapy Is, and Isn’t

Before stepping into your first session, it helps to know what therapy aims to do. Therapy isn’t about “fixing” you, it’s about understanding yourself better, learning new tools, and developing a healthier relationship with your thoughts and emotions.

At Kindful Psychology, we use evidence-based, trauma-informed approaches to explore what’s been holding you back gently. Our goal is not to judge or label, but to guide you toward clarity, confidence, and self-compassion.

The Philosophy Behind Kindful Psychology

Our approach is rooted in what’s known as third-wave psychology, a group of modern therapeutic methods that go beyond simply changing thoughts. Instead, we focus on how you relate to your thoughts and feelings.

These approaches often include:

• Mindfulness-Based Therapy

  • Learning to notice your thoughts without getting caught up in them

• Self-Compassion Therapy

  • Treating yourself with the same care and understanding you’d offer a friend.

• Acceptance-Based Therapy

  • Makes room for difficult emotions instead of fighting them

• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

  • Balancing acceptance and change in everyday life

• Internal Family Systems (IFS)

  • Understanding and healing the “parts” of yourself that carry different emotions

Research consistently shows that beyond techniques and tools, the relationship between you and your therapist is the most potent factor in your progress. Feeling safe, respected, and understood forms the foundation for meaningful change.

Before Your First Session: Preparing Yourself

You don’t need to prepare in any formal way, but it can help to spend a few minutes reflecting before you come in. Ask yourself:

• What’s been bringing me to therapy now?

• Why now?

• What will be different in my life six months from now?

• What has (or hasn’t) helped me in the past when I’ve felt this way?

It’s also completely fine if you don’t have clear answers. Your therapist will help you unpack these thoughts together.

Bring along any notes, relevant medical documents, or a list of medications if they’re connected to your mental health. Most importantly, bring an open mind and a willingness to talk, or even just to listen if speaking feels difficult at first.

What Happens in Your First Session

1. Getting Comfortable

The first few minutes are about creating a sense of ease. You’ll be welcomed into a calm, private space. Your therapist will check in about how you’re feeling and answer any practical questions about confidentiality, scheduling, or fees.

If you’re joining a virtual session, your therapist will make sure the connection is working smoothly and that you’re in a comfortable, private spot for the conversation.

2. Exploring Why You’re Here

The first session is mostly a conversation about what’s been happening in your life. Your therapist will invite you to share what’s been difficult and what’s prompted you to seek therapy now.

Don’t worry about saying the “right” thing; there’s no script. This is simply an opportunity to start sharing your story in your own words.

3. Understanding Your Background

Your therapist may ask about your history, including past experiences, relationships, work, health, and any significant life changes. This helps them understand your world and the context of your challenges.

If you’re comfortable, they might explore how you’ve coped so far and what support systems you already have in place.

4. Introducing Therapeutic Approaches

Depending on your needs, your therapist may explain how particular approaches can help. For example:

1. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

   • Helps you identify and change negative patterns of thinking that influence emotions and behaviour.

2. Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)

   • Helps you to learn to ride the waves of big emotions through mindfulness and distress tolerance, as well and learning how to have healthy communication skills.

3. Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT)

   • Encourages the healthy expression and understanding of emotions.

4. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

   • A structured method is often used to process trauma.

5. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

   1. Focuses on aligning your actions with your values, even when life feels uncomfortable.

6. Mindful Self-Compassion Therapy (MSC)

   • Focuses on understanding your inner critic and learning how to speak to yourself like you would to a good friend.

Each of these techniques has strong scientific support for improving emotional regulation, reducing anxiety, and managing trauma-related symptoms.

5. Setting Goals Together

You’ll likely spend time clarifying what you want from therapy. Some clients come with specific goals, like managing panic attacks or improving communication in relationships. Others just know they want to feel better. Both are perfectly valid starting points.

Your therapist may summarize what you’ve shared and propose some next steps or strategies for your next session. You will work together with your therapist to come up with a treatment plan that works for your schedule, budget, and goals.

Building Trust and Connection

The first session is also about getting to know your therapist and deciding whether they feel like a good fit for you. You should feel safe, heard, and understood.

It’s okay if it takes a few sessions to build comfort. Therapy is a relationship that develops over time, built on honesty and trust. If something doesn’t feel right, it’s essential to talk about it. At Kindful Psychology, we encourage open communication so you can get the most benefit from your sessions. We have many skilled therapists who can support you if your initial session doesn’t feel like the right fit for you. 

What You Might Feel Afterward

Many people leave their first therapy session feeling relieved, simply because they’ve had space to talk openly. Others may feel a bit tired or emotional, that’s also normal. Therapy invites you to explore parts of yourself that you might not usually share.

Give yourself permission to rest, reflect, or journal about the experience afterward. This helps you begin noticing what stands out to you and what feels important to work on next time.

What Comes Next

After your first session, you and your therapist will decide how often to meet. In the beginning it can help to meet weekly or bi-weekly. Consistency helps you build momentum and deepen your work together.

Future sessions will continue to:

• Explore patterns in your thoughts and emotions

• Build self-compassion and mindfulness

• Learn new tools for managing anxiety, grief, or trauma

• Track your progress and adapt as needed

Over time, therapy can lead to profound shifts in how you view yourself and your world, not by “fixing” who you are, but by helping you relate to your experiences with greater kindness and clarity.