What to Expect from Your First Online Therapy Session

Taking the first step toward therapy can feel both exciting and nerve-wracking. Whether you're considering online therapy for the first time or transitioning from in-person sessions, understanding what lies ahead can help ease those initial jitters and set you up for success. As a licensed marriage and family therapist practicing throughout California, I've guided countless individuals through their first therapy session online, and I'm here to walk you through exactly what you can expect during this important journey.

Understanding the Online Therapy Intake Process

The online therapy intake process is designed to be thorough yet comfortable, ensuring that both you and I have all the information needed to work together effectively. This process begins before we even meet face-to-face through a screen and continues through your first full session and beyond.

You may wonder how online therapy differs from traditional in-person sessions, particularly when it comes to the first steps. The value of secure video therapy lies in its ability to create an intimate, private space for healing while offering the convenience and accessibility that allows it to reliably fit into your life. From the comfort of your own home, you can begin a transformative process without the added stress and time of commuting or sitting in a waiting room.

The Initial Free Consultation Call

Your journey begins with an initial free consultation call, which serves as an important first step in the therapy onboarding process. This conversation is intentionally brief, typically lasting less than 30 minutes, and maintains an informal tone that helps put you at ease.

During this call, you'll have the opportunity to briefly discuss why you're seeking therapy. This isn't the time for deep dives into your personal history or traumatic experiences – rather, it's a chance for you to share what's bringing you to therapy at this particular moment in your life. You might mention feeling overwhelmed by life transitions, struggling with relationship patterns, experiencing anxiety, or simply feeling stuck and wanting support in moving forward.

I encourage you to come prepared with questions about my approach and experience. This is your opportunity to learn about my background in family systems theory, narrative therapy, somatic experiencing, drama therapy combined with internal family systems theory, person-centered therapy, and CBT combined with ERP for anxiety treatment. You might want to ask about my 25 years of experience in children's mental health, my specialized training in family therapy and child development, or my experience with teaching parenting skills, including support for divorcing families.

The consultation call is fundamentally about determining fit. Am I the right therapist for you? Therapy is deeply personal work, and the therapeutic relationship forms the foundation of meaningful change. During our conversation, pay attention to how you feel speaking with me. Do you feel heard and understood? Does my approach resonate with your needs and preferences? Trust your instincts – they're often accurate indicators of whether we'll work well together.

I'll also be assessing whether I'm the right therapist for your specific needs. My extensive background in varied, complex, and challenging cases has taught me the importance of honest evaluation of fit. If I believe another therapeutic approach or specialist might better serve your needs, I'll share that perspective openly and help guide you toward someone who might be a better fit.

Moving Forward: The Decision Point

If we both feel optimistic about working together, the next step involves completing intake paperwork online before our first full session. This paperwork serves several important functions in the online therapy intake process.

The intake forms gather essential information about your mental health history, current concerns, and therapy goals. You'll provide details about previous therapy experiences, current medications, family history, and specific symptoms or challenges you're facing. In encourage you to take this seriously and to be thorough, because this information helps me understand your unique situation and begin considering which of my various therapeutic modalities might be most beneficial for your personalized mental health care.

The paperwork also covers practical matters like emergency contacts, medical information, and consent forms for online therapy. Since I practice as a solo therapist online, these forms ensure we have all necessary information to work together safely and effectively through our digital platform.

Your First Full Session: What to Expect

Your first full session marks the beginning of our therapeutic work together. This 50-minute session takes place using a secure video platform. This provides privacy and confidentiality while maintaining the personal connection essential for effective therapy.

The Technical Setup

Before diving into the therapeutic content, we'll ensure your technical setup supports a smooth session. The secure video platform I use is designed specifically for mental health services, meeting all HIPAA requirements for privacy and confidentiality. You'll want to find a private space where you won't be interrupted, test your internet connection, and ensure your camera and microphone are working properly. Special note for parents: Sometimes kids are in the next room and assumed to be disinterested or deemed too young to understand. They may be more curious and clever about eavesdropping than you might think. Keep this in mind when securing the environment for our sessions. Sometimes the car is the most private environment. Just make sure I know your location and you have good lighting. I recommend using a computer or tablet rather than a phone when possible, as the larger screen creates a more connected experience. However, I understand that flexibility is one of the benefits of online therapy, so we can make any setup work for your circumstances.

Exploring Your Current Concerns

During your first session, we'll go into much greater depth about what's bringing you to therapy. Unlike the brief consultation call, this session provides space for you to share your story more fully. I'll ask about your current concerns, how they're impacting your daily life, and what you're hoping to achieve through our work together.

My approach draws from multiple therapeutic modalities, allowing me to tailor our sessions to your specific needs. If you're dealing with anxiety, we might explore both cognitive-behavioral techniques (CBT combined with ERP) and somatic approaches that help you understand how anxiety lives in your body. For relationship concerns, we might examine family systems and patterns that influence your current connections.

The embodied, or somatic, approaches I emphasize recognize that healing happens not just in the mind but also involves a physical experience that including nonverbal cues, sensations, and feelings. During our first session, I might ask you to notice physical sensations, breathing patterns, or areas of tension as we talk. This isn't about forcing anything – it's about increasing awareness of how your body holds and processes experiences. Sometimes people resist the body’s wisdom, but I see this differently. The body offers guidance that can be trusted and harnessed to your advantage. As we work together, I will help you understand what I mean and get to know your body’s feedback in a way that allows you to integrate all parts of your self (your internal family system). 

Understanding Your Mental Health History

A significant portion of your first session involves exploring your mental health history. This includes previous therapy experiences, what worked well, what didn't, and what you learned about yourself through those processes. If you've never been to therapy before, we'll explore what led you to consider it now and any concerns or expectations you might have. If you have been to therapy before, we will explore what has worked and what hasn’t, your preferences, and you will be encouraged to be open and assertive with me if and when you disagree or have questions. 

I'll ask about family mental health history, significant life events, and current support systems. This information helps me understand the broader context of your life and informs how we might work together most effectively. My extensive experience with complex cases has taught me that everyone's story is unique, and the therapeutic approach must honor that individuality.

Discussing Goals and Treatment Planning

During your first session, we'll begin identifying your therapy goals. These might be specific ("I want to manage my anxiety better in social situations") or broader ("I want to feel more confident in my relationships"). Goals often evolve throughout therapy, and that's perfectly normal and expected.

I may outline a potential treatment plan based on our discussion, explaining which therapeutic approaches might be most helpful for your specific situation. For instance, if you're dealing with family relationship patterns, we might focus on family systems theory and narrative therapy to understand how your family history influences current relationships. If trauma is a factor, we might incorporate internal family systems (IFS) or somatic experiencing to help your nervous system process and integrate difficult experiences.

The treatment plan is always collaborative and flexible. My 25 years of experience have shown me that rigid treatment approaches rarely serve clients well. Instead, I create a framework that can adapt as you grow and change throughout our work together.

Session Structure and Frequency

I'll also discuss the recommended session structure moving forward. Most clients benefit from weekly sessions, though some find biweekly sessions work better for their schedules and processing style. The frequency can always be adjusted based on your needs, life circumstances, and therapeutic progress.

Each session will typically last 50 minutes, providing enough time to dive deep into meaningful work while maintaining clear boundaries. The consistency of regular sessions creates a reliable container for your growth and healing.

What Happens After Your First Session

Once we've established our therapeutic relationship, you can expect a consistent, structured process focused on your progress and support. The work becomes increasingly collaborative as you develop greater self-awareness and begin implementing new tools and perspectives in your daily life.

The Rhythm of Ongoing Sessions

Weekly or biweekly sessions create a rhythm that supports sustained growth and change. Each session builds on the previous one, creating momentum toward your goals. We'll explore thoughts, emotions, impulses, behaviors, sensations, self-awareness, and patterns related to your specific objectives.

My somatic approach means we'll pay attention to how insights and emotions show up in your body. You might notice that certain topics create tension in your shoulders, or that discussing particular relationships affects your breathing. These bodily responses provide valuable information about your inner world and healing process.

Learning and Practicing New Tools

Throughout our work together, I'll offer various tools tailored to your needs and goals. These might include coping strategies for managing anxiety, communication skills for improving relationships, or mindset shifts that support your personal growth. The specific tools will depend on which therapeutic modalities best serve your situation.

For example, if we're working with anxiety, we may talk about techniques to increase regulation of your nervous system, recognition of when you are in your “window of tolerance” or in hyperarousal or hypoarousal, we may be using CBT combined with ERP approaches, including thought-challenging techniques and developing a series of carefully designed gradual exposure to feared situations. If we're exploring family patterns through family systems theory, you might develop new ways of understanding and responding to family dynamics. Sometimes we talk about these new ways and sometimes we practice change, using drama therapy techniques. This embodied approach to learning assertiveness and practicing change can be particularly powerful. You don’t have to be an actor, or even confident, to benefit from these techniques. Don’t worry, I will be your guide and practice with you so any awkwardness is shared and you develop strength and skill as you go. Drama therapy and internal family systems work are aimed at helping you understand different parts of yourself and how they interact, as well as integrate them into a cohesive whole. My belief in, and practice of, person-centered therapy ensure that your inner wisdom and expertise is recognized throughout our work together.

Between-Session Practice and Reflection

One of the unique aspects of therapeutic work is that growth continues between sessions. I encourage clients to reflect on our conversations, practice new skills, read suggested and related material, and notice patterns in their daily lives. This might involve journaling, trying new communication approaches, trying a new technique, or simply paying attention to how certain situations affect you.

The practice between sessions isn't homework in the traditional sense – it's an optional opportunity to integrate therapeutic insights into your real life. Some weeks you might have profound insights to share, while other weeks you might feel like nothing significant happened. Both experiences are valuable and normal parts of the therapeutic process.

Open Communication and Feedback

I encourage clients to openly share what is or isn't working in our sessions. Therapy is most effective when it feels relevant and helpful to your life. If a particular approach doesn't resonate with you, or if you'd like to explore something differently, please speak up. My extensive training in multiple modalities means I can adjust our approach to better meet your needs. Every time you dare to be open with me, I get to know you better and have the opportunity to earn your trust back.

This open communication extends to the pace of our work as well. Some clients prefer to dive deep quickly, while others need more time to develop trust and comfort. There's no right or wrong pace – only what works best for you.

Progress Monitoring and Goal Adjustment

Over time, we'll periodically check in on your progress toward your original goals. Sometimes clients discover that their initial goals were symptoms of deeper issues they want to address. Other times, achieving certain goals opens up new areas for growth and exploration.

These progress check-ins help ensure our work remains relevant and meaningful to your life. They're also opportunities to celebrate the changes you've made and acknowledge the courage it takes to engage in therapeutic work.

The Unique Benefits of Working with a Solo Therapist Online

As a solo therapist online, I offer a level of personalized attention and continuity that can be particularly beneficial for therapeutic work. You'll work exclusively with me throughout your therapy journey, developing a deep therapeutic relationship that supports lasting change.

My 25 years of experience in children's mental health, combined with my extensive training in family therapy, child therapy, teen and adolescent therapy, parenting therapy, child development, drama therapy, divorced family therapy, and addiction treatment, allows me to understand complex family dynamics and their impact on individual well-being. This background is particularly valuable for clients dealing with family relationships, parenting challenges, or the lasting effects of childhood experiences.

The online format adds accessibility and convenience without sacrificing therapeutic depth. Many clients find that being in their own space actually helps them feel more comfortable and open during sessions. The secure video platform maintains privacy while allowing for the visual connection essential for meaningful therapeutic work.

Practical Considerations for Online Therapy Success

Successfully engaging in online therapy requires some practical preparation, but the effort pays off in terms of convenience and accessibility.

Creating Your Therapeutic Space

Choose a private location where you won't be interrupted during sessions. This might be your bedroom, home office, or any space where you feel safe and comfortable. Consider the lighting – you want to be clearly visible without harsh shadows or backlighting. A simple lamp or natural light from a window usually works well.

Think about your seating as well. Choose a chair that's comfortable for 50 minutes and allows you to sit upright and engage actively in the conversation. Some clients like to have a journal or notebook nearby, though this isn't required. Children and teens are not required to stay seated during sessions. They are free to move around and bring the phone with them or prop it up somewhere more comfortable. They may need a “corrective experience” by developing a new relationship with online therapy after the experience of so much time spent in Zoom classes during the pandemic. 

Technology Requirements

Ensure you have a reliable internet connection and a device with a working camera and microphone. Make sure you have enough battery or you can easily plug in your device. Test your setup before your first session to avoid technical difficulties that might interfere with our work together. The secure video platform I use is user-friendly, but don't hesitate to reach out if you have technical questions.

Consider having a backup plan in case of technical difficulties. This might involve having my phone number available for a brief check-in call if video connection fails temporarily.

Privacy Considerations

Online therapy requires some additional privacy considerations. Make sure other household members know not to interrupt during your session times. If privacy is challenging in your living situation, consider using headphones and finding the most private space available.

The secure video platform ensures that our sessions are confidential and protected, meeting all professional standards for mental health services.

Understanding the Investment in Your Mental Health

Therapy represents an investment in your mental health and overall well-being. Rather than focusing on cost, I encourage you to consider the value of developing better coping skills, improving relationships, and creating positive changes that will benefit you for years to come.

For specific information about session fees and scheduling options, I encourage you to reach out directly. During our initial consultation call, we can discuss the practical aspects of working together, including session frequency and payment arrangements.

Moving Forward: Your Next Steps

If you're considering online therapy, the first step is reaching out for that initial consultation call. This brief conversation provides an opportunity to learn more about my approach, ask questions, and determine if we might work well together.

Remember that starting therapy is a courageous step that demonstrates your commitment to personal growth and well-being. The online therapy intake process is designed to support you from the very beginning, ensuring you feel informed, comfortable, and ready to engage in this meaningful work.

My approach to personalized mental health care means that your therapy experience will be tailored specifically to your needs, goals, and preferences. Drawing from my extensive training in multiple therapeutic modalities and 25 years of experience with complex cases, I'll work with you to create a therapeutic experience that honors your unique situation and supports your individual path toward healing and growth.

Whether you're dealing with parenting, social issues or social anxiety, other kinds of anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship challenges, family dynamics, life transitions, or simply seeking greater self-understanding, online therapy can provide a safe, accessible space for exploration and growth. The combination of professional expertise, personalized attention, and the convenience of secure video therapy creates optimal conditions for meaningful therapeutic work.

Your mental health matters, and taking the step to explore therapy – whether for the first time or returning after a break – demonstrates wisdom and self-care. I'm here to support you through this process, from that first consultation call through whatever journey unfolds in our work together.

If you're ready to learn more about how online therapy might support your goals, I invite you to reach out for that initial consultation. Together, we can explore whether my approach and experience align with what you're seeking in your therapeutic journey.

Hi! I’m Julie Weigel, and I’m a Licensed Therapist in California who specializes in relationships, family therapy, and child/adolescent therapy.

Call today to schedule a free online consultation.