5 Tips to Prepare for an Effective First Therapy Session
Last Updated on January 20, 2025 by Prath
Reviewed by April Justice, LICSW
- Published on 20 January 2025
Therapy in Singapore is a positive step many take to manage their emotions, adapt to changes, and learn problem-solving skills.
You might be nervous if you’ve never been to therapy for mental health before.
Planning can lessen anxiety and help you make the most out of what lies ahead.
Doing some simple things, like journaling, can also give you a better sense of what to expect and increase the chances of having a positive experience.
In this article, we will write about the 5 things you can do before your first therapy session. And don’t worry – it’s easier than you think, and these steps can set you up for success from the start.
This Article Contains:
1. Do Your Research
Right after you book your therapy session, take a moment to reflect on what you want to accomplish.
Doing your personal research can help you remember key points during therapy and set the direction towards your most relevant goals.
Focus on tracking your mental health and important therapy goals.
a. Track Your Mental Health
Consider tracking information related to your mood, energy levels, sleep quality, stress levels, thought patterns, motivations, and physical symptoms.
We encourage you to choose any aspects that you prefer to improve.
Either create a sheet to track each point in a specific way (eg using emojis to represent emotions) or write a detailed journal about your day-to-day experiences.
Journaling gives you a head-start for therapy by helping you better understand your needs.
Research also shows that writing about upsetting events can help improve your mental and physical health and bolster the impact of therapy sessions.
b. Write Your Goals
Setting up therapy for success begins with knowing which direction you want your life to take and who you want to become.
While your therapist can help you with goal-setting, it is still useful to contemplate your goals well before. Visualise how you would like your life to look after you decide to terminate therapy.
Here’s a prompt to help you:
“What does getting better mean to me?”
Some examples of therapy goals can look like:
- Prioritising my needs in interpersonal relationships
- Managing work-life balance
- Reducing anxiety around life changes
- Healing from negative childhood experiences
Tip: Think about your goals in terms of measurable outcomes so you can recognise the changes when you actually achieve them. For example, if your goal is to reduce stress, you can measure it by noticing reduced heart palpitations, fewer headaches, and so on.
Your goals can also help track progress during therapy.
Discuss your ideas during the first session so that you can align them with the therapist’s approach and work towards achieving your identified goals.
2. Prepare Questions to Ask Your Therapist
The therapist is a stranger in your first session. Preparing a list of questions to analyse their profile can help you mitigate any discomfort you may have.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions you may have already encountered in their description. Therapy is your chance to gain as much clarity as you need to get started.
Some questions you can ask include:
- Can you explain your background and experiences in detail?
- How do you generally approach problems during sessions?
- When can I expect to notice changes in my life?
- Will you be teaching me skills to manage my emotions?
- Will you predominantly focus on my childhood experiences, or will we majorly discuss current problems?
- Do my presenting problems align with the areas you specialise in?
- How much experience do you have in handling my specific issue?
- How do you handle situations where progress feels slow or stagnant?
75% of people find talk therapy effective. Find a TYHO Therapist today for help with emotional distress.
3. Talk to Your Loved Ones
Share your thoughts and feelings about therapy with others whenever you feel comfortable.
Community or family support, whatever is available to you at this moment, can help you reduce potential feelings of apprehension about therapy.
You may be surprised how common it is to seek therapy in Singapore. If the person you talk to also sees a therapist, it can be comforting to share your experiences with each other.
Often, your loved ones may provide you with a fresh perspective about issues you may be struggling with.
For example, your friend might be able to see that you’re getting more anxious about work events that could have escaped your notice. By having open conversations, you can even streamline your therapy goals.
If you feel hesitant to start a conversation, send a text message to a friend. You can say: “Hey, I want to talk to you about starting therapy. Can I vent my feelings to you?”
After a few exchanges, you can discuss the topic in person before starting your therapy!
4. Seek Therapy With an Open Mind
The first few therapy sessions are always about identifying areas you want to work on and assessing if your therapist is the right fit for you.
To do so, you may have to answer several questions and engage in a deep and honest conversation. However, try not to fret – your therapist will be compassionate and guide you through the process.
If you are not ready to explore certain areas, you can ask the time for it or even share why it’s hard for you to open up.
All therapists are committed to helping you heal and grow. Although it may initially feel awkward to talk about the most intimate details of your life, try to have an open mind and note that:
- The more effort you put into therapy, the more you will gain from it.
- Being forthcoming about your struggles and how difficult the process feels can help your therapist support you better.
If you do not feel heard or validated during sessions, ask your therapist if they are willing to modify their approach or treatment plan.
Similarly, have frequent conversations about meeting goals and tracking progress.
Remember that therapy can take time, and change will happen slowly. Give yourself a couple of weeks to determine if you need to change a therapist.
5. Schedule Time for Post-Therapy Reflection
Therapy sessions can be tiring as you may be talking about deep-rooted issues or childhood negative experiences.
Schedule some time after therapy to reflect on how it went and what you would like to do differently next time.
Some common emotions people may experience post-therapy include:
- Emotionally exhausted
- Worried
- Anxious
- Tired
Although the above emotions are natural, they are only temporary. Reflect on how you feel on a broader scale.
For example, are you hopeful about the future but at the same time worried about meeting those goals? The temporary emotion here may be the worry (which you will experience after the session), but on a broader scale, you are feeling hopeful and looking forward to continuing the sessions.
The latter is what you may want to focus most on.
To identify your temporary and extensive emotions, journal your thoughts. Sometimes, going for a walk or painting may also help. Try engaging in any activity that feels therapeutic to you.
Post-therapy reflection is important as it can help you process all the emotions from the therapy and clear your mind. You can also talk to your therapist about working on therapy homework as a way to reflect on sessions.
Key Takeaways
- Preparing well in advance for your first therapy session can help you reduce anxiety and negative thoughts.
- Taking some time to track your mental health and contemplating your goals can help you create a strong foundation for therapy progress.
- Being open-minded about the changes in therapy and addressing your concerns right away by talking to your therapist can help improve your therapy experience.
- Seeking a new therapist if things don’t progress even after several weeks is completely normal and recommended.
