Clinically reviewed general information · Reviewed 2026-05-19
What actually happens in the first therapy session
What to expect from a first session at Mind Health — not a textbook description, but how we actually work.
This article is general information for adults and families. It does not replace advice from your GP, psychologist or other treating clinician.
If you’ve never seen a psychologist before, the first session can feel like a big step into the unknown. Here’s what to expect — not from a therapy textbook, but from how we work at Mind Health.
Before the session
About a week before, we send a short intake form (10–15 minutes) covering your reasons for coming in, current symptoms, relevant medical history, current medications, and what you’re hoping to get from therapy. You fill it in at your own pace — most people find it helpful to do this before the day.
The first 10 minutes
Practical stuff: confirming what you’d like to be called, your pronouns, what you want recorded in clinical notes versus what you’d prefer kept verbal. We explain confidentiality (and its limits — see /terms/). We answer any questions about how we work, what to expect from sessions, how Medicare claims work.
The next 30 minutes
This is mostly listening. We ask about what brought you in — sometimes with very open questions, sometimes with structured prompts. The aim isn’t to extract your whole life story in one session. It’s to get a working picture of what’s going on, what you’ve tried, what’s worked, what hasn’t.
You don’t need to come in with the story already organised. Many people start with: ‘I don’t really know how to describe what’s wrong, but…’ That’s fine.
The last 10 minutes
This is where we’d typically:
- Offer an initial working formulation — our best understanding of what’s going on, how it developed, what’s maintaining it
- Recommend a treatment approach — CBT, schema, EMDR, ACT, etc — and explain why
- Discuss roughly how many sessions we’d anticipate
- Decide together on the next step — book the next session, take some homework, or (occasionally) refer you to a different clinician if we’re not the right fit
What doesn’t happen
You won’t be ‘diagnosed’ on day one (we don’t have enough information). You won’t be expected to cry, or to feel better instantly. You won’t be made to talk about anything you’re not ready to talk about. Therapy works when you trust the clinician — that takes more than 50 minutes, and we don’t rush it.
One thing to know
You’re allowed to not click with us. Tell us at the end of session one if it doesn’t feel right. We’ll help you find someone who fits better — same practice or elsewhere. The ‘fit’ part of therapy isn’t optional; it’s where the work happens.
Clinical note
If symptoms are persistent, escalating or affecting safety, daily functioning or relationships, consider speaking with a GP or psychologist. If there is immediate danger, call 000.