What to Expect from Your First CBT Session

Your first CBT session is an opportunity to meet your therapist and begin talking about what has brought you to therapy. You can discuss the difficulties you are experiencing and how they may be affecting different areas of your life.

Your therapist will work with you to understand your current difficulties and what you would like to achieve. Together, you can begin to identify clear goals for therapy and explore how CBT may be able to help.

During the session, your therapist may ask about your thoughts, feelings, behaviours and experiences. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about how CBT works. The first session is about beginning to build a shared understanding of your needs and deciding on the next steps together.

Your therapist may also introduce you to the CBT approach and explain how thoughts, feelings and behaviours can influence one another. This can help you begin to recognise patterns that may be contributing to the difficulties you are experiencing.

CBT is a collaborative form of therapy, which means you and your therapist will work together throughout the process. Your sessions will be shaped around your individual needs, circumstances and goals.

You do not need to prepare all the answers before your first appointment. Therapy is a process, and understanding often develops over time. Your therapist will support you in exploring your experiences at a manageable pace while helping you develop practical strategies that can support meaningful change.