What to Expect at Your First Therapy Appointment
Starting with a new therapist is a big step in recovering from trauma, disordered eating, and body shame.
here at reclaiming therapy, we know that preparing for your first appointment can feel exciting and scary all at the same time.
We want to help you prepare for what may come as you get started.
In this blog, Laura Gordon, a trauma and eating disorder therapist at Reclaim Therapy, walks you through some things to expect as you get ready for, and start your healing journey.
Expect To Be Nervous
For most clients, the first session may be accompanied by a sense of anxiety. Especially if this is your first time in-person or online therapy. I invite you to bring along any questions or concerns you have so we can consider them together. These can be logistical (e.g., scheduling, virtual info, etc.) or related to an area that will help you feel more at ease.
We may engage in a mind-body therapy exercise. This will help you relax and center yourself before continuing with the session. We can also end our session with exercises to help you transition back into your normal day. These are available to you at every session. Feel free to ask if you need help with centering yourself at any point along the way.
2. Relationship Matters Most
How many of us willingly open up to strangers about all our deep, dark secrets? The first phase of therapy is about developing the relationship between us. I tell all my clients: My goal is to offer you the care that you need. Not every therapist is the right fit for a client. That’s okay! We can work together to determine what is best for your healing. If I’m not the right online therapist, I will be happy to offer referrals so you can find someone who may better suit your needs.
I do ask that you attend three sessions before deciding. This will give us time to settle in and discuss how things are going. We will begin to develop a sense of comfort and safety that is crucial to the work of healing.
3. Hearing Your Story
Your life is a sacred story that I encourage you to share. I’ll ask you some questions to get a better sense of what brought you to therapy. From there, we’ll begin to go over your story. I’ll guide you through this process. Areas of discussion may include your family history, support system, and trauma experiences. Trauma triggers, eating disorders, and body image are some topics that we will need to discuss.
We may touch upon some areas and go deeper into others.
If we miss something, it’s okay. Our work together will allow us to deepen our understanding of your life. We will gain insight and move toward growth throughout this process. I trust that in-person or online therapy will help with the release of your healing.
4. Making A Plan and Goal Setting
Once I have a better sense of things, I’ll work with you to develop a plan for our work together. We’ll assess what area(s) might be best to start with and the types of therapy that may be helpful. We offer in-person and online therapy in Pennsylvania. At various times along the way, I’ll check in around this plan and help you assess how things are going. This is a living plan that we can revisit at any time to fine-tune to your changing needs.
5. Trust The Process With Reclaim Therapy
My online therapist of many years reminded me of this often. The healing process takes time and patience. Therapy often feels like one step forward and a lot of steps back. I find that just when you think all hope is lost, a shift happens. It reopens the energy channels and leads to new discoveries.
6. Be Gentle With Yourself
Therapy is hard work that requires a lot of courage and stamina. When you hit a stuck point, it can be easy to grow frustrated and blame yourself. I’m here to help you learn to practice self-compassion. During these times holding onto hope for yourself is a struggle and we are here to help!
my name is laura gordon and I’m a trauma, eating disorder, and body image specialist.
I offer trauma-informed, fat-positive therapy that is justice-oriented, spiritually inclusive, and guided by the Health At Every Size (HAES) movement and Intuitive Eating (IE) model.
I’m passionate about helping folks reclaim their worthiness. Mind-body therapy and support will help your journey toward healing.
Reclaim Therapy specializes in providing trauma treatment, eating disorder treatment, and body image therapy. We offer in-person and online therapy in Horsham, PA.
We’re a group of trauma therapists who believe it is your right to reclaim your life from your traumatic experiences, your eating disorder, and from your dieting-obsessed culture. We provide online therapy in Pennsylvania and see clients in person in our Horsham, PA office.