Hi, SG. Congrats on moving forward! What made you choose this therapist? Is it one person of several you will check out?

I have had 2 therapists. The first one had a waiting room shared by 3 therapists. There was no receptionist, and these 3 Ts were allied just by virtue of sharing space; they were not part of the same clinic. I was OK with it. Sometimes I would see another client in the waiting room. I never saw anyone I knew.

My second therapist has his own office and waiting room. No receptionist. I am very comfortable in his waiting room and sometimes fall asleep there while I'm waiting. (I don't think I'd feel comfortable enough doing that if it was a shared waiting room.) The only times I have waited there with other clients is when he has accidentally double booked. I have always liked his other clients that I have met and enjoyed talking with them. I have never intersected with anyone I knew.

Conclusion: I've had an OK experience with both private and semi-private. I don't think I would like it much if there was a receptionist. I would rather keep all my dealings with my T.

Good luck! Kind of exciting. I hope you will share more about the therapist and how you chose him/her, if you feel ready. Is it a him? Is it a her?