What to Expect in Your First Therapy Session | Growth Era Counseling CT
Growth Era Counseling & Wellness | Telehealth for Adults Across Connecticut
Starting Therapy Can Feel Intimidating — You're Not Alone
Deciding to begin therapy is a courageous step. Whether you’re seeking support for anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, or life transitions, the first session often brings up a mix of emotions — curiosity, nervousness, hope, maybe even fear.
At Growth Era Counseling & Wellness, we want you to feel informed and empowered before you even log into your first virtual session. Here's what you can expect during that important first conversation.
What Is the First Therapy Session For?
Your first therapy session is sometimes called an intake session. Think of it as a “getting to know you” session. It’s a space to:
Share what’s bringing you to therapy
Learn about your therapist’s approach
Ask questions
Begin setting goals together
A strong, trusting connection is key to meaningful progress.
How Does a Virtual Therapy Session Work?
Since we provide telehealth therapy across Connecticut, your first session will take place through a secure, HIPAA-compliant video platform. You’ll receive a link ahead of time, no need to download anything complicated!
All you need is:
A private, quiet space
A good internet connection
A laptop, phone, or tablet
You can join from the comfort of home, your office, or anywhere you feel safe and uninterrupted.
What Will We Talk About?
During your first session, your therapist may ask questions like:
What’s been going on that led you to seek therapy now?
Have you had therapy before? What worked or didn’t?
How are you sleeping, eating, and functioning day-to-day?
Are there any past events or current stressors affecting you?
You don’t need to have all the answers, and you never have to share more than you’re comfortable with. Everything moves at your pace.
We also want to know:
What you hope to get out of therapy
Any preferences or boundaries you have
How we can best support your growth
What You Won’t Be Asked to Do
You won’t be judged.
You won’t have to "fix" everything at once.
You won’t be rushed into talking about trauma or painful memories.
Our approach at Growth Era Counseling & Wellness is trauma-informed, which means we value emotional safety, trust, and collaboration above all.
What Happens After the First Session?
At the end of the first session, you and your therapist will discuss:
How you’re feeling about starting therapy
What ongoing sessions might look like (frequency, focus)
Next steps in your therapeutic journey
You can ask questions at any time! Whether about our therapy approach, scheduling, or what to expect in future sessions.
Growth Starts Here
We know starting therapy can feel like stepping into the unknown. But you're not doing it alone.
At Growth Era Counseling & Wellness, we provide compassionate, virtual therapy for adults across Connecticut who are ready to navigate anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, and major life transitions — all through a trauma-informed lens.
Ready to Begin?
We offer free 15-minute phone consultations to answer your questions and match you with the right therapist!
- Virtual sessions
- Trauma-informed care
- Serving all of Connecticut