You’ve taken the leap and scheduled your first therapy session—something that can feel both empowering and a little intimidating. Many people begin their individual therapy or couples counseling journey with a mix of hope and hesitation. That’s completely normal. This post can help set your expectations for what that first session might be like, and how your therapist will support you throughout the process.
What to Expect From Your Therapist
Your therapist isn’t there to tell you what to do or to solve your problems for you. Instead, our job is to help you access your own ability to navigate what’s hard right now. We’ll help you distinguish what can change, what may not, and what to do in both cases. Sometimes we’ll act as a guide, sometimes a teacher or coach—and always as someone who genuinely cares about your well-being.
What we won’t do is create dependency. One of our proudest moments as therapists is when a client says, “I think I’ve got what I need. I’ll reach out again if I need to.” That’s a sign that therapy has worked as it should. Our goal is to help you become your own best support system in the long run.
What Your First Session Might Look Like
Whether you're starting individual counseling, couples therapy, or marriage counseling, your first appointment will generally involve a conversation about your life, your relationships, and your goals. Your therapist may ask about how you’ve handled challenges in the past, what’s working, what’s not, and what you're hoping will change.
We often ask clients to complete the sentence, “I’ll know therapy has worked when…” That simple question helps us understand what success looks like to you. And if you don’t yet know what you need from therapy, that’s okay. We’ll help you figure it out together.
You’ll also leave that first session with an idea of what the path forward might look like. Therapy doesn’t have to be mysterious. We believe it’s important for you to understand how each conversation is moving you closer to the changes you’re hoping for.
How Therapy Asks You to Show Up
We sometimes tell new clients, “If every session is light and fun, we’re probably missing something important. But if you dread coming here, we’re also not doing our job.” Real change involves some discomfort. It asks you to step outside your comfort zone and into vulnerability.
We’re here to support you in that process—not to push you beyond your limits, but to encourage you toward growth. In both individual and relationship counseling, the work often requires facing things that are uncomfortable or unfamiliar. But you don’t need to know how to do all of that on your own. That’s why we’re here.
Therapy is an investment in yourself, and that investment tends to ripple outward. When your quality of life improves, your relationships and daily functioning often improve too. It’s not always easy—but it’s worth it.
Therapy in Seattle, Online or In Person
If you’re considering therapy, we’re here to help you get started. At Clarity Counseling Seattle, we offer individual therapy, couples counseling, and online therapy, all provided by experienced, caring therapists. If you’d like to talk more about what therapy could look like for you, we invite you to schedule a consultation. We look forward to connecting with you.