What to Expect in a Free Consultation
Wondering how to make the most of your free consultation with your therapist?
Read on!
Key Takeaways:
Consultations save you time and money
Share your general concerns with your therapist
Ask your therapist about their experience with your concerns
Make sure it’s a fit with session cost and availability
Why Book a Free Consultation?
Most therapists now offer free consultations prior to booking your first appointment, myself included. That’s awesome!
A free consultation saves you the heartache of spending $$$ dollars and multiple hours of your time on a therapist that you know immediately won’t be a good fit.
But what the heck are you supposed to ask in these consultations?
What will the therapist ask you? How much are you supposed to share in 15 minutes with this stranger that you haven’t committed to working with yet? If you’re wanting answers, read on.
Here are some questions clients can (and should) ask in a free consultation:
Do you have experience with my presenting concerns? (Ex: anxiety, depression, ADHD, relationship issues, etc.)
What is your treatment approach for the concerns I’ve mentioned?
I need a therapist who is anti-racist, anti-diet and/or anti-ableism. In your therapeutic work, do you align with those values and how does that show up in session?
If I have feedback about my therapy experience, how do you prefer that I share that with you? How have you handled it in the past when clients have given you constructive criticism?
What are your hours of availability?
What is your pricing? Are you in network with my insurance? Do you offer sliding scale spots, and are any available?
What to Expect
A consultation with me usually flows like this:
I greet you and invite you to ask any questions you have.
If you don’t have any questions, I share what I specialize in and what you can expect from me as a therapist (therapeutic style, how I approach your presenting concerns, what to expect from the first two sessions, etc.)
I share my hours of availability and pricing structure.
You’ll have an opportunity to book your intake session on the call, or you can book it later at a link I’ll send to you after the consultation call.
If either of us deem it won’t be the right fit, we will respectfully say so and I will offer to help you find someone who would be a better fit.
Making the Choice
Choosing your therapist can be so HARD. I’ll make it as easy as I can!
I have full respect for each client trying to find the right therapeutic fit, and if I’m able to support you in that process, whether by answering questions or finding a referral, I will! Please feel free to ask.
Need More Time?
You can learn more about my process and style on my Therapy Services page.