So WHY do I feel so nervous?

So you've booked your assessment session either online or over the phone and you felt fine.

Yet as the date for the assessment session gets closer, you become aware that suddenly you feel apprehensive, nervous or maybe even a little anxious about it. If that's you please take some comfort that you are not alone with those feelings.

For many people, starting counselling or any type of personal development or therapeutic work is unknown. The unknown is scary, especially when it's you that everything is focused on.

Some thoughts people have before coming to their assessment session are that they don't know what will be expected of them. They don't know what will happen, if it will be upsetting or if they are going to be able to cope with whatever questions may be asked of them. In this blog I thought it might be useful to address this issue and hopefully provide some reassurance about what a counselling assessment session is like.

Each practitioner is different so I can only share from my own experience as a therapist how I do my assessment sessions, but in doing so I hope it helps you.

I guess the first thing to say is that the assessment session is a safe space for us to explore your needs together. It is an opportunity to look in more detail than in the initial connection call at what it is that is challenging you right now and also how this is effecting you and impacting you in all areas of your life. It is also an opportunity to explore why you are looking to pursue counselling at this point in your life.

The purpose of the assessment is to understand your story, needs and goals. It is in no way about judging or diagnosing you.

During the session we will discuss what brought you to counselling and also discuss expectations that you may have of the process and what to expect. This is really important so that you fully understand how counselling works - what can be provided and also very importantly what can't be provided. That way your expectations are managed and you are clear on what to expect.

There will be some practical information asked and also a gentle exploration of your emotions, past experiences to date and what support looks like for you now.

It's important to know that there in no expectation to share everything at once - you control the pace. This is really important so that you can feel reassured that you won't be pressured into discussing this with someone who at this point is a stranger to you and you haven't met before. It's important that you feel empowered to know that you have control of this process.

In my opinion, counselling shouldn't feel like something that is done to you- it's something that you are choosing to pursue for a reason that is important to you. That's why you're here.

Following the assessment session I then decide if my skills and experience can meet the needs you have and you also have a a chance to say if you feel that I am the right therapist for you and if you would like to proceed working together - or not.

You also have the opportunity to ask any questions you need to and find out about the way in which I work and how counselling is delivered, along with any practical questions you may have.

I understand that reaching out or coming to that first assessment session is hard and feeling nervous is understandable but please take comfort that this is not unusual. Rest assured I will do everything I can to try and make you feel at ease and hopefully like many of my clients you too will leave the session feeling "it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be".