If you need support right now, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 24 hours a day. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.
A first therapy appointment is mostly a conversation. There is some paperwork to start, then a counselor asks what brought you in, you say as much or as little as you want to, and you leave with a sense of whether you want to come back. That is the shape of it. This page walks through what actually happens at our offices in Homer Glen and Beverly, and you can also read about our counseling services.
Table of Contents
What Happens at a First Therapy Appointment
Arriving is the part people picture least and worry about most, so here it is in order.
Getting there: you come in, you are greeted, and you wait until your counselor is ready. Nobody announces why you are there.
Paperwork: there are forms at the start. They cover who you are, how to reach you, and practical details. Our intake forms are on the site if you would rather look at them beforehand, and the office can tell you which ones they need when you call.
The conversation: this is the bulk of a first therapy appointment. Your counselor will ask what brought you in and will listen more than they talk. You are not being tested and there is no right way to start.
The end: before you leave there is usually a short conversation about whether you want to come back and what you might work on. You are allowed to say you want to think about it.
What You Do Not Have to Do
Most of the dread about a first therapy appointment comes from things nobody actually asks of you.
You do not have to have your story organised. Starting in the middle is fine, and so is starting with something small because the big thing feels like too much on day one.
You do not have to know what is wrong. Working that out is the point of going, not a prerequisite for arriving.
You do not have to cry, and you do not have to apologise if you do. Both happen and neither is a problem.
You do not have to explain why you waited. However long it has been, it is not a thing you owe anyone an account of.
You do not have to answer everything. You can say that a subject is not one you want to open yet, and that is a complete answer.
What Your Counselor Is Likely to Ask
The questions in a first therapy appointment are there to help your counselor understand your situation, not to sort you into a category.
Expect broad ones:
- What brought you in now, rather than a year ago
- What a normal week looks like for you
- Who is around you, and who you can talk to
- What you have already tried
- What you would like to be different
If you go blank: that happens often, and counselors are used to it. Saying “I do not know where to start” is a real answer and a useful one. So is bringing a note on your phone, if writing it down beforehand is easier than finding the words in the room.
Bringing a Partner, a Child or a Teenager
We counsel individuals, couples and groups, and we see adolescents as well as adults. If you are booking for someone else rather than yourself, say so when you call so the office can book the right kind of appointment.
A partner: whether they sit in for part of a first therapy appointment depends on who the appointment is for. Say who is coming when you book and the office will set it up the right way.
A child or a teenager: we see adolescents, and how much a parent is involved depends on the young person and what suits them. Ask when you call.
Someone who needs affirming care: we also run LGBTQIA+ affirming counseling through Beyond Acceptance.
What Comes After the First Session
Toward the end of a first therapy appointment, you and your counselor talk about what you might work on. That is a conversation rather than something handed to you, and you get a say in it.
Approaches used across our practice include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, DBT skills and EMDR. Which one a counselor draws on depends on the person and what they are working on, and it is a reasonable thing to ask about.
Pace is yours. Some people want to book the next appointment before they leave and some want to sit with it for a week first. Both are normal.
If Your Counselor Is Not the Right Fit
Fit is not a small thing and it is not always there on the first try. If the person across from you at a first therapy appointment is not right for you, asking for someone else is a normal request, not a complaint and not a failure.
You can meet the counselors before you call and read what each of them says about their own training. That page lists 16 counselors, so there is room to find a better match without starting again somewhere new.
Asking early is easier than waiting several appointments and hoping it settles.
Booking at Homer Glen or Beverly
First therapy appointment, Homer Glen IL
Address: 14933 S. Founders Crossing, Homer Glen, IL 60491
Phone: 708-737-7968
Counseling staff hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm, and Saturday by appointment only
Office staff hours: Monday to Thursday, 9am to 6pm
You can read more about our Homer Glen office before you visit. The office staff hours above are when someone is there to answer the phone.
We also see people at our Beverly location in Chicago, at 11846 S. Western, Chicago, IL 60643.
To book a first therapy appointment at either location, call 708-737-7968.
Questions People Ask Before Their First Appointment
How do I book: call 708-737-7968. Say whether the first therapy appointment is for you or for someone else, and the office will take it from there.
Will I have to talk the whole time: no. A counselor will ask questions and follow where you go with them, and quiet stretches are part of it.
What if I change my mind at the door: people do turn around, and people also come back a month later. Neither closes anything off.
Can I ask about cost and scheduling first: yes, and it is a sensible thing to sort out before you book. Call the office and they will go through it with you.
What if I have never done this before: most people at a first therapy appointment have not. Nothing about the room assumes you know how it works.
Can I write to you instead of calling: yes, you can contact us if that is easier than picking up the phone.
If You Need Help Now
Immediate danger: call 911.
Suicide and Crisis Lifeline [1]: call or text 988, any time, day or night.
LGBTQ+ young people [2]: The Trevor Project, 1-866-488-7386, or text START to 678-678, 24 hours a day. TTY 1-866-803-3699.
Trans and questioning callers [3]: Trans Lifeline peer support, 877-565-8860, Monday to Friday, 12pm to 8pm Central.
Struggling but not in crisis [4]: the Illinois Warm Line, 866-359-7953, Monday to Saturday, 8am to 8pm, except holidays.
Reading a page is not the same as talking to someone. If any of this is close to home, please call one of the numbers above, or call us at 708-737-7968.
Key Takeaways
- A first therapy appointment is paperwork, a conversation, and a short talk at the end about whether you want to come back
- You do not have to have your story organised, know what is wrong, or explain why you waited
- You can decline any question and still have a useful first therapy appointment
- Asking for a different counselor is a normal request, and our counselors page lists 16 of them
- Call 708-737-7968. Office staff answer Monday to Thursday, 9am to 6pm, and counseling staff are in Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm
References
Crisis and support lines:
[1] 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, national call, text and chat service
[2] The Trevor Project, crisis support for LGBTQ+ young people
[3] Trans Lifeline, peer support hotline and published hours
[4] Illinois Department of Human Services, state warm line and helpline listings