Almost everyone is nervous before a first meeting with a psychologist. When I face something new, it calms me to know in advance what's waiting for me. So here is how a session works and how to prepare for it.
You don't have to arrive "ready": no worded problem, no plan, not even an understanding of what's going on with you.
How to prepare for an online session
- Find a place where you'll be alone and no one can hear you. It's easier to speak openly that way.
- Check your internet. Any device will do: phone, tablet or laptop. The platform is the one we agreed on: Zoom, Google Meet or Telegram.
- Keep a glass of water nearby.
- Have a notebook or a sheet of paper: sometimes you'll want to write something down.
- Don't schedule anything right up against the session. These 50 minutes are just for you.
You don't need a clear request
People often put off reaching out because they don't know what exactly to come with. But you can come like this:
"Things are hard, and I don't know why."
That's enough. We'll work out together what's behind it.
What happens in a session
In Gestalt therapy we pay attention to what is happening now: your sensations, body, emotions, the pauses in the conversation. Little by little it becomes clearer what's going on with you.
You can be as you are: in pyjamas, with a coffee, in tears or in silence. You can be angry, doubt, stay quiet.
And you can tell me if something doesn't suit you. That is part of the work too.
Practical details
- A session lasts 50 minutes; we usually meet once a week.
- At the start we enter into an agreement: fee, payment, rescheduling. A short version of the terms is on the main page.
- Everything said in a session is confidential.