Intake Session
An intake session is the first formal appointment with a therapist. It covers what brings you in, relevant history, safety, and logistics like confidentiality and scheduling, and it starts the working plan. It is mostly conversation, there is nothing to prepare, and it is also your chance to evaluate the fit.
Expect more questions than a typical session: background, current stressors, health, what has helped or not helped before, and what you want to be different. None of it is a test, and you can decline any question. The therapist is assembling context so the real work starts aimed in the right direction.
The evaluation runs both ways. Notice whether you feel heard, whether the therapist’s way of working makes sense to you, and ask anything you want about their approach. Our first session guide walks through the whole arc, including what happens after.
Common questions
How should I prepare for an intake session?
You do not need to. If it helps you feel settled, jot down the main thing you want addressed and any questions about the process, but arriving with nothing prepared is completely normal.
Will therapy actually start in the intake, or is it just paperwork?
The intake is real work: telling your story to an attentive professional is often therapeutic in itself, and many people leave with an early observation worth chewing on. The structured back-and-forth of ongoing sessions builds from there.
Related terms
Want to talk it through with a person?
A free 15-minute call is an easy way to ask how any of this applies to you.