[mira belle]

I have been reading about the first session and how to be prepared. alot of articles mention that therapist will talk to you on phone before meeting in person.
just to give an introduction and they can get to know you alittle.
also that first sessions last longer than the usual. maybe 90 min.

i scheduled mine online thru schedulecity...got no call from therapist and its the usual 50 mins.

i did get an email from him saying that send in insurance info. so he can double check if its accepted and to fill out paperwork from his website before coming in.

i think a phone call is a great idea...and u can gauge..the persons style of talking and ease of getting along etc.

is this common or am i reading old articles.

[SnakeCharmer]

I've heard people in this forum talk about it. I never had a pre-appointment phone call. In the last couple years, I've helped three people get therapists where I live and two in other towns in my state, at public clinics and with private Ts. None of those first sessions were preceded by a a pre-appointment interview or any kind of phone call from the T. Scheduling was done through reception staff.

Where I live there's a big shortage of Ts for the number of people who need and want help. I don't think Ts have time for pre-appointment phone calls here. Perhaps it's one of those things that's considered ideal practice, but the demands of real life get in the way of attaining the ideal.

[stopdog]

I have always interviewed the therapist by phone before making the first appointment. It helped me weed some of them out. The phone calls were usually between 10-20 minutes long. I have always contacted/seen sole practitioners.
I have not had a longer first appointment and I doubt I would see a therapist who did a longer first appointment.

When I've seen a private therapist, they've invited "get-to-know-me" phone calls. I am using a state agency now and had no choice as to which p-doc I would get to see. I just got assigned one.

If you search for therapist web sites in your area, you may read on them that they offer a free call to help you decide if you want to schedule. It seems that you're more likely to get offered a phone call from therapists who are in practice alone or are in a small practice.

[musinglizzy]

aha....I just answered my own question to you on another post....

I never had any contact outside of Email contact with my T prior to my first session. And I was ok with that. I knew where she was and what she looked like (photo on website), but other than that, I went in completely blind as to who she was, what she sounded like, etc etc. I could have talked by phone, but at the time I was trying to get my first appt, being at the mercy of cancelations, so I didn't even think to call her on the phone.

I'll admit I was probably a bit more nervous than I would have been had I spoken with her first, I could have gotten a feel for what she was like. But it turned out well, she doen's thave a horrible, annoying voice (but a nice, soothing one), and we hit it off right from the start. GOOD LUCK!

[ScarletPimpernel]

Never had a phone conversation before first session. As an adult, first T was through county, so no phone calls. Second T was private. I did call and talk to her to request an appointment, but that was all that was discussed. Current T, didn't have a pre-session phone call. But it could also be because my insurance wouldn't approve a session/time over the phone and my T is a stickler with rules.

I would rather meet face to face anyways. Just like it's hard to gauge a person through writing, it's also difficult through voice only.

[divine1966]

Didn't have a phone conversation and first session was the sabe length as all other ones

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[brillskep]

What you've read is right in that it is one way of doing things, but at least in my experience it's not a rule. I know a first session can feel scary but maybe you could get a sense of the therapist even without the phone call, if they have an online website or presentation. If not, you can always not go back, or give up on this particular therapist and particularly search for one by calling on the phone (some therapists will have their contact info listed). But I think that you might be missing out on therapists who may be good in session, just have another style and not have a phone conversation first.

On the other hand, you do need a confirmation for your scheduled appointment, so I hope you get that at least and that whatever you choose to do will be for the best.

The "first phone call" I had, was t calling me back after I'd left her a message asking if she were taking new clients. She called me back, we very briefly spoke just to schedule my first appointment and for her to give me directions to her then-office. My first appointment was the normal 50 minutes.

I've had ones that didn't do a phone interview, but most have. I want to hear her voice first. To me, that matters a lot. There are some really fantastic therapists out there who know the importance of a good fit, and that it matters as much to them as the client, so they will take the time. They also charge a lot, so there's that. One returned my call who was not taking new clients, but she still spent about 20 minutes on the phone with me.

i get really anxious on the phone so have always made that clear to my t, i've never spoken to her via the phone. makes me shiver horribly just thinking about it.

[Seeking_Peace]

Originally Posted by mira belle

I have been reading about the first session and how to be prepared. alot of articles mention that therapist will talk to you on phone before meeting in person.
just to give an introduction and they can get to know you alittle.
also that first sessions last longer than the usual. maybe 90 min.

I think many Ts do this but it's not a rule.

My T is a private T and does not have a receptionist/secretary. Through psychology today or T's website, you have to call or e-mail my T directly to set up an appointment. Our initial "conversation" lasted literally 5 minutes. T returned my call saying he was returning my call and asked me my reasons for seeking therapy, then T said we should make an appointment. Once we chose date/time for the 1st appointment, T asked if I had any questions for him (I didn't b/c his website was detailed). All my appointments, including the first one, has been 50 minutes. But my T does state in his policies that he uses the first 2-3 appointments as "evaluation" sessions.

If a T works for a agency that has a receptionist, or if there is a system in T's web site that allows you to make a appointment (including date/time), then it would not be unusual for you not to talk to the actual T before the first appointment.