• Open conversations. Therapists will talk to you about your life. You will be discussing your feelings, life circumstances and challenges. Talking about difficult feelings helps face them and beginning the process of healing.
• Enhancement of self-awareness. In therapy, you will discover all the different facets of mental health. You will learn about your strengths, shortcomings, attitudes and fears.
• Gaining new skills. The therapist will help you acquire healthy coping skills. For instance, engaging in positive self-talk, breathing exercises and boundary setting.
• Navigating through life problems. Therapists help their clients approach problems from different perspectives in order to conclude better ways of problem-solving.
• Building upon your strengths. You will be assisted in developing inner strengths like courage and confidence with the aid of treatment, to be able to realize your own potential.

What to expect from the first session

With the internet upholding dangerously unrealistic standards of success and beauty, it becomes easy to forget that the curated content is designed to solely depict the most appealing and enviable moments of a person's life, concealing the rough parts and even the ordinary mundaneness of day to day life. The perceived allure of others living glorious lives, reinforcing the extravagance that is their life, often disguises the fact that those are carefully chosen, and at times photoshopped clicks that serve the purpose of representing the better half of one's life.

Starting treatment may seem scary, but there are many benefits to look forward to- there is nothing to fear, but lots to gain. The first session may be more introductory and focus on the client's background and rapport building. In what is essentially an interview, the therapist will likely ask the client a lot of questions during the first session regarding their symptoms, coping mechanisms and general well-being to get acquainted with their background. The client's expectations from therapy, goals and other topics would also be discussed. You may not anticipate your first therapy session to be emotionally taxing, but it may be. Sometimes our brains work hard to conceal things, including difficult memories and emotions one would not have been willing to explore by themselves. Whether you intend to or not, you might discover that the floodgates open as soon as you sit down for therapy for the first time. It may come as a shock, to discover that you're opening up to a stranger in ways that you haven't been able to do with others in your life.

You may experience a range of emotions before and during a session such as feeling anxious, anticipation and the fear of opening up. However, it shouldn't be considered frightening. One of the greatest things you can do for yourself is, to be honest and upfront with your therapist. Breaking down your walls and building trust and confidence is a positive sign in therapy, signaling your journey toward the process of healing.

The therapist and the client go on to discuss various aspects of therapy like the duration of treatment, techniques to be employed, and mutual understanding regarding the parameters of patient confidentiality. However, you don't have to figure it all out right away after your first session. Give yourself some room and time to reflect instead. It is important to remember that therapy typically necessitates several sessions, so it would be unavailing to anticipate quick fixes for issues on your first appointment. The goal of therapy is to provide the client with long-term solutions, not just a temporary one. Once settled in, therapy can be a liberating experience.