First Therapy Session Overview

What to Expect in Your First Therapy Session

In a first session overview, we look at the overall picture of what’s happening in your life.  If two or three things are occurring at the same time (as is often the case), we focus upon the most pressing issue.  

While these presenting problems are usually current, the therapies I offer always work to reach the source of these issues.  Underlying emotional pain, fear, or anger will always have roots in childhood, where we have developed defensive behaviours to cope with parents’, teachers’ and society’s limiting demands

These defenses are seldom examined or upgraded as we get older.  It’s like there’s a frightened, angry and confused child directing our adult life from behind the scenes. 

The therapies I offer tend to avoid long discussions and stories with lots of detail.  In my experience, talk therapy can only reach the surface of an issue.  This keeps the intellect engaged in past/future thinking mode.   A first session overview shows me how best to proceed in future sessions.

Introducing You to Your First Therapy Session

If we were seldom seen, heard or understood as a child, we then had to learn to suppress our emotions, to control our anger, fear or loneliness and shut them down.  This separated us from our authentic feeling nature, leaving us with clunky defensive overreactions that continue to generate problems.  This will always lead to relationship problems in our adult lives.

In a first session overview, I seek to gain some perspective on the source of these childhood wounds. Then I structure a combination of hypnotic techniques that are best suited to your unique temperament.   

Healing techniques vary considerably from one person to another.  

I observe your breathing and body language, and guide you into a quieter, grounded and peaceful state.  I record this part of the session, so you have something to work with between sessions. I also teach compassionate self-parenting to guide you in continuing this process of healing in your everyday life.  Through hypnosis, I guide them into healing the wounded child within.

Somatic Therapy – Working with Sensations in the Body 

Most people live in their heads with constant spinning thoughts that leave no space for reflection, insight or integration.  This alone is a cause of much stress and exhaustion, and of course, is greatly enabled by all our devices that provide endless distraction.

Somatic healing is based on allowing the wisdom of the body to lead the way and will bypass the controlling mechanisms of the ego/intellect.  

Notice What’s Happening in Your Body

• Where do I hold tension?
• Do I feel tightness, heaviness, or discomfort?
• When does it show up most?

As I lead clients into connecting with their inner body sensations, this reveals their trapped emotional energy that manifests as sensations of heaviness, pain, trembling or numbness (to mention a few).  These are almost always sensations of shrinking and compression; contracting the body down to become smaller and “fit in” with parental or societal expectations.  Using hypnosis and many other techniques, I guide you into opening and softening the inner body that leads to lasting healing.

For your first session, I want to give you a direct experience of going within, noticing where physical pain is present, how your body holds tension, and where stress may have settled beneath the surface.

Over 35 Years of Experience

I work at the client’s pace to ensure they don’t become overwhelmed.   I have evolved ways of guiding them through all these processes as slowly as they need, where they feel safe and contained. 

Needless to say, I have been using these methods on myself for over 35 years and now trust this healing process completely.  So in a first session overview, I have a pretty good idea of how to proceed with the client’s ongoing healing journey.

How Do I Prepare for My First Therapy Appointment?

You don’t need to prepare perfectly for your first therapy appointment. Simply arrive as you are. I will help you to reflect on what’s troubling you, what you’d like support with, and what you hope might change, but clarity isn’t required. I will guide the conversation.

If you’d like to feel more prepared, here are a few simple steps:

Ask yourself:

• What feels most difficult right now?
• When did this start?
• How is it affecting my daily life?

You really don’t need a full story, just a starting point.

Practical Preparation

• Arrive a few minutes early if in person
• Test your internet connection if online
• Wear comfortable clothing
• Avoid rushing beforehand if possible