Common Questions that are Asked at the Beginning of Therapy
Starting therapy can feel scary, especially if you don't know what to expect. Sometimes it’s helpful to know what to expect. I’m going to talk about some common questions that are asked by psychologists or therapists during the first appointment (or first few appointments).
1. Why are you here?
Therapists or psychologists typically begin by asking why you’re starting therapy. It's a way to understand your primary concerns and what you are hoping to get out of therapy.
2. What’s your history?
Maybe not this exact question but therapists will usually ask about your personal history, including family, education, and work. This helps the therapist get a good understanding of who you are and current or past life circumstances that could be impacting your concerns and goals.
3. How do you feel?
Talking about feelings are an important part of therapy. Psychologists and therapists are likely to ask about emotions and how they impact your day-to-day life. However, we also understand that many people who come to see us have trouble talking about emotions and can help guide you on how to recognize and make connections related to emotions.
4. What’s your relationship like with your family?
Family dynamics can influence mental health. Your therapist may explore your relationships with family members to help uncover patterns or issues that contribute to how you are currently doing or impacting current concerns. Depending on your therapist's style and your goals you may spend more or less time talking about your family relationships.
5. How was your childhood?
Similar to the question about your family, by exploring childhood experiences this may help uncover and provide insight into issues or influential experiences. Early experiences often shape current behaviors and beliefs. Also your goals and your therapist’s style may dictate how much focus is spent on childhood.
6. Have you experienced trauma?
Questions about past trauma are common, as unresolved trauma can affect mental health. Psychologists and therapist strive to create a safe space for you to discuss difficult experiences. If you are not ready to answer a question you can always ask to skip answering or return to the topic at a later time.
7. How do you cope?
Understanding how you currently deal with stress or challenging emotions is key. This includes both helpful and unhelpful coping strategies. Many psychologists help their patients develop helpful coping strategies.
8. What are your goals?
Setting clear, achievable goals can guide the therapy process. Whether it’s improving relationships, managing anxiety, or finding purpose, your goals matter. This may depend on your therapists style and the reason why you came to therapy but in general we want to know your goals so we can help you move towards them. Goals also help you and your therapist track progress.
9. Are you on any medications?
Therapists often ask about medications to understand any existing treatments and how they might interact with therapy. While therapists can’t give specific guidance about what medications will work best for your mental health they can help you keep track side effects, if the medication is helping, and coordinate care with your prescribing provider.
10. How’s your physical health?
Mental and physical health are interconnected. Questions about illness, diet, exercise, and sleep habits are common to obtain a well rounded view of your well-being and to check if your physical health is impacting your emotional health or vice versa.
11. How’s your social life?
Social interactions and social support can impact mental health. Discussing friendships, social activities, and hobbies helps identify any areas needing attention and potential areas of strength or coping.
12. What are your strengths?
Speaking of strengths, focusing on strengths can help motivate change, improve self-esteem, and provide you and your therapist insight on what is already working well and how to extend this to other areas. Therapists might ask about your skills, achievements, and positive qualities.
Remember, therapy is a collaborative journey, and these questions are asked to help you and your therapist or psychologist work together towards healing, growth, and meeting your goals.