Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 2: Organizational Matters
• Part 2 of 2: Prepare to Open Up
• Tips
• Warnings

Sometimes we all need help in solving certain life problems. Psychotherapists are trained to help clients solve a range of their personal problems and guide them on a path that leads to emotional well-being. However, the thought of seeing a psychotherapist can be intimidating. What will you need to do? Will it be necessary to delve into yourself, remembering what you are trying to forget? What are you going to tell the therapist after all? There is a lot you can do to deal with your anxiety and prepare for the bulk of your sessions. Treatment is a very enriching process that requires significant effort on both sides - the therapist and the client.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Organizational Matters

1. 1 Check out the financial side of the issue. It is very important to find out if psychotherapy is covered by your insurance program or if you will have to pay for the therapy yourself. See the list of services in your package for information about behavioral health care or mental health treatment coverage. If you are not sure about something, then contact the employee of your insurance company directly. Otherwise, you may have to pay out of pocket, although you could find a therapist who will accept your insurance.
   • When you meet, be sure to discuss billing, schedule, and insurance claims at the start of your session. This way, you can conduct your session without being distracted by organizational issues such as scheduling, writing a check, and payment.
   • Be aware that if you are seeing a private therapist, he or she may give you a check to show to your insurance company in order to receive reimbursement. You can pay the entire cost of the visits yourself and then receive a refund from the insurance company.
2. 2 Check out the qualifications for a psychotherapist. People with different qualifications, different forms of training, specialization, certification and licensing become psychotherapists. "Psychotherapist" is a general term, not a specific position or indication of education, license or training completed.The following warning signs may indicate insufficient qualification of the psychotherapist:
   • Information about your rights as a client, confidentiality, internal rules of the office and payment is not provided (it is important to know this before agreeing to therapy).
   • No license issued by a government agency or jurisdiction in which they practice.
   • Diploma from a non-governmental accredited institution.
   • Unresolved lawsuits with the licensing commission.
3. 3 Prepare all required documents. The more information the therapist has about you, the better he will be able to do his job. Useful documents include the results of previous psychological tests or recent medical records. If you are still studying, you might want to bring a report card or grade book.
   • This will come in handy during the meeting, when the therapist may ask you to fill out forms about your past and present physical and emotional health. By simplifying this part of the visit, you and your doctor can better get to know each other on a personal level.
4. 4 Make a list of medications you are taking or have recently taken. If you are already taking any mental or physical medications, or have recently stopped treatment, be prepared to provide the following information:
   • Name of drug (s)
   • Your dosage
   • Side effects you are experiencing
   • Contact information for the doctor (s) who discharged them
5. 5 Write memo. When meeting for the first time, you may have many different questions and concerns. In order to find out everything that interests you, write a few reminders to collect all the necessary information. By bringing them to the first session, you will feel more confident and at ease.
   • The checklists may include the following questions for your therapist:
     • What therapeutic approach are you using?
     • How do we define our goals?
     • Will I need to complete assignments between sessions?
     • How often will we meet?
     • Will our joint work be short-term or long-term?
     • Are you willing to work with other healthcare providers to make my treatment more effective?
6. 6 Keep track of your meeting schedule. Since psychotherapy involves working on oneself in a confidential atmosphere, time must be properly managed. During the sessions, the therapist should keep track of the time, allowing you to focus on the questions and answers and tune in to the treatment setting. But it's up to you how to achieve this. Be aware that some private therapists charge a fee for missed appointments, which is not covered by insurance.

Part 2 of 2: Prepare to Open Up

1. 1 Reflect on recent feelings and experiences. Before arriving, take some time to really think about the issues you want to discuss and the reasons why you wanted to start treatment at all. Write down specific things you would like to know about yourself with someone else, such as what makes you feel upset or worried. Asking questions, the therapist will encourage you to talk, but you both should take the time to think about it ahead of time. If you have difficulties with this and you do not know what to do, then before the session ask yourself the following questions:
   • Why am I here?
   • Am I angry, unhappy, upset, fearful ...?
   • How do people around me influence the situation in which I am now?
   • How do I usually feel on one of the ordinary days of my life? Sadness, disappointment, fear, despair ...?
   • What changes in my life do I want to see in the future?
2. 2 Practice uncensored expression of your thoughts and feelings. For therapy to be effective, you, as a client, must break your own rules about what is appropriate to say and what is to be kept secret.When alone with yourself, loudly say strange thoughts that you usually do not allow yourself to voice. The free exploration of one's impulses, thoughts and feelings is one of the main sources of change in psychotherapy. Just getting used to speaking these thoughts will make it much easier for you to get through this part of self-examination during your sessions.
   • Uncensored thoughts can also include questions. You may be interested in the therapist's professional opinion about your situation or how therapy will help you. The therapist will try to provide you with this information whenever possible.
3. 3 Unleash your inner curiosity. You can try to express your innermost thoughts, feelings, and concerns by asking "why" questions. As you analyze your daily life leading up to these sessions, try asking yourself why you are feeling or thinking in a certain way.
   • For example, if a friend or colleague asks you for a favor, and you feel internal resistance, then ask yourself why you do not want to help him. Even if you simply replied that you do not have time, then go ahead and ask yourself why you feel you cannot or should not find the time to do so. The goal is not to draw conclusions about the situation, but to learn to stop trying to understand yourself deeper.
4. 4 Remind yourself that this therapist is not the only one. A good personal relationship between client and therapist is critical to the success of therapy. If you trust him too much when you first meet, without taking this into account, you may feel that you must continue to work with a therapist who is not very suitable for you to help.
   • Did you leave after the first session feeling that you were not understood? Were you a little uncomfortable around the therapist as a person? Perhaps the therapist reminds you of someone towards whom you have negative feelings? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it may be worth looking for a new therapist.
   • Know that it is normal to be nervous during the first session; you will feel better over time.

Tips

• Remember that there will be another session the next day or a week later. Don't worry if you feel like you didn't have time to say everything. It takes time for change to really take place.
• Trust that everything you say to the therapist is confidential information. As long as the doctor does not feel that you are a threat to himself or to someone else, it is his responsibility to maintain confidentiality, no matter what happens during the sessions.

Warnings

• While preparation is very important, there is no need to plan exactly what to say. By having clear goals and by sharing deep inner experiences without hesitation, you will help your sessions run more organically.