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Therapy first session prep checklist

The first session mostly needs you to turn up and be honest, but the logistics around it are worth sorting in advance. This covers what to have ready.

20 items

Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.

The items

  1. Confirmation of time, format and how to join
  2. In-person address, or the video link
  3. Cancellation policy and notice needed
  4. What you actually want from it, written down beforehandNot a polished answer — a rough one is enough to start from.
  5. A rough timeline of what's been going onDates help more than you'd think; 'a while' means something different to everyone who hears it.
  6. What's already been triedMedication, other support, self-help — whatever applies.
  7. Current medication, if any, and the actual doses
  8. Questions about how the sessions work
  9. How long the sessions are
  10. How many are expected before reviewing progress
  11. What happens between sessions if things get worse
  12. Cost, and whether it's covered by insurance or the NHS
  13. Confidentiality limits understoodAsk directly what would ever be shared, with whom, and in what circumstances.
  14. A way to get there or log on with time to spareArriving flustered eats into the session itself.
  15. Tissues and water to hand, if it's from home
  16. No major decisions planned straight afterThe first session can stir more than it settles.
  17. Someone told where you'll be, if that matters to you
  18. An honest answer ready for 'what brought you here'It doesn't need to be complete, just true.
  19. A note of anything you'd rather write down than say out loudHanding over a note is a legitimate way to start a hard subject.
  20. Follow-up logistics understood before you leaveBooking cadence, what happens if the fit isn't right, how to say so.

Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.

Questions people ask

What if I don't know what to say once I'm there?
Say that. 'I don't know where to start' is a normal first sentence, and a competent first session is built to work with it rather than need a prepared speech.
What if the first person isn't the right fit?
That's common and it isn't a wasted appointment — ask how to say so and what happens next before you leave, so switching doesn't mean starting the whole search again.
Is this checklist a substitute for actually going?
No — it's just the practical half, getting you to the door with less friction. The session itself is the professional's job, not something a list can do.