When starting therapy, it's very common to feel nervous. It can be scary to think of opening up with someone. Taking steps to seek help for the challenges we face is a huge step. It takes courage to realize we can’t face our issues alone.

Therapy is a space where you can be yourself and come just as you are, including feeling nervous. I’m committed to finding a way to care for your nervousness and ensure sessions are as comfortable as possible.

I’m here if you want to talk about it during a free phone consultation.

Take your time to read through my website. If you sense that I may be a good fit based on what you are reading, you can Email me.

During a free phone consultation, you can ask me about how I have helped other people like you before, what a typical session with me is like, or any other questions you may have that are specific-to-you. You’ll also be able to share what’s going on for you and we can determine how I could best be of service to you.

It may be helpful to think of the first few sessions as trying out the waters together. During the initial sessions, you’ll be able to see how you feel working with me. My approach is not going to work for everyone. What’s most important to me is that you find someone who you feel is the right fit for you. We can explore that together.

It's natural to not want to share some of the painful or difficult things we've been through. Trust often takes time. During our sessions, it will always be up to you if you feel ready to talk about something or not. It’s my job to give you space to slowly start to work through the tough stuff. Gradually and at a pace that feels comfortable to you, you can share what you feel ready to share.

You can also share with me that you are nervous to open up about something and we can talk about that too. Whatever is present for you. Whatever you are going through. Bring that to session and we can explore that together.

If you open up to me, I will not think you are too broken, I will think you are courageous and worthy of love, belonging, and joy. Many of my clients have had the same fear (that people would think they are too broken).

I know that given what you've been through, what you are facing is natural. Through the many years of working with clients like you and navigating my own life journey I understand what you're facing.

I believe you. Nothing you can say will cause me to judge you.

I know nobody's perfect, we all struggle, we are humans trying to human.

Whatever it is you're going through, I provide a calming space where I respect you and listen with focus and compassion.

You may be concerned that your friends, family, or work colleagues could learn what you have said during therapy. So I want you to know that unless there is an imminent danger to yourself or someone else, everything you share with me is completely confidential.

Your privacy and trust are of utmost importance.

You can rest assured that you can talk about anything without fear of that information getting out.

If you have specific questions about how confidentiality works, you can ask during your free phone consultation or anytime during our work together.

https://marybethcovert.com/privacy/

You might be asking about how long therapy will take because you think that therapy will be an overwhelming process.

If this is true for you, I want you to know that on average, my new clients start seeing progress after the first few sessions.

By that point, they feel like they have learned some ways to manage challenging stuff in their lives a bit better.

The total duration of therapy is similar among many of my clients. My clients tend to stay for 6 months to one year to notice that they feel less anxious, more centered, and peaceful than before they started.

Overall, you can think of the first session as a two-way interview where we can ask each other questions so we can begin to know each other. I’ll invite you to share more about yourself and we can also talk about what’s worked or not worked for your mental health in the past.

Some questions that I like to ask during a first session include:

• What brought you to therapy?
• What goals would you like to reach by going to therapy?
• What do I need to know about you to understand your current challenges?

You can ask me questions as well. You might be curious about why I'm a therapist or how I've helped other clients like you.

The most important part of a first session is that you see if you feel like I’m a good fit for you. If you feel safe, accepted, and comfortable with me, we can discuss if you’d like to meet again.

I'm here to talk during a free phone consultation where you can share what’s going on for you and we can determine how I could best be of service to you.

Email me today to get your free phone consultation at [email protected].