Attending your first therapy appointment can feel daunting and a little scary. This can be true for children, teens, and parents alike.
Our friendly team is always happy to help make this process easier and less anxiety-provoking for you and your family.
Booking your child or teen’s therapy appointment
Once you reach out to us for psychological services, we do our best to match your child with the most suitable therapist.
An initial consultation session booking will be made, along with two to three more sessions booked in advance to secure your preferred times and dates. You will receive an email confirming your appointment. Please make sure you check your spam folder just in case. You may also want to record the appointment in your calendar or diary.
This email will contain information about our services, consent forms, and important details such as our cancellation policy.
In-person and telehealth therapy options
We offer both telehealth and in-person appointments.
If you are attending in person, you may wish to plan your journey and parking prior to your appointment. There is free two-hour parking around the clinic. It can be trickier to find parking on Saturdays, so allowing some extra time can help reduce stress.
Parent involvement before the first session
Most parents attend the initial consultation session without their child, or opt for a parent-only session prior to their child’s first appointment. This allows parents to speak freely about some of the difficulties their child is experiencing. Depends on the age of the child, younger children tend to like the support and teens can choose what feels most comfortable for them.
We strongly encourage a flexible approach with teens and adolescents. Some young people wish for parents to be involved in the first session, while others may not. We will do our best to involve family and carers as much as possible and find the approach that feels right for your child.
Prior to your session, you may find it helpful to visit our About Us page to read about the therapist you will be meeting and view their photo. Some children find this helpful in reducing anxiety or nerves before their appointment.
What happens in the first therapy session
Your therapist will come to greet you and walk with you to one of our comfortable therapy rooms. The initial consultation session is usually held in the same room as ongoing therapy sessions.
As this is the first time meeting your therapist, you may be feeling a range of emotions. It is completely normal to feel nervous when meeting your therapist for the first time. Sometimes therapists feel a little nervous, too.
If you are concerned about your child or adolescent, we will ask lots of questions about their development, schooling, friendships, family, strengths, interests, and current difficulties. We always explain our confidentiality policy in this initial session, including what is private and the few exceptions where information may need to be shared for safety reasons.
When should we go to family therapy ?
Family therapy can be helpful when concerns do not sit with just one person, or when patterns between family members are contributing to stress or disconnection.
Some families seek family therapy when
- communication has become strained or conflict is frequent
- a child or teen is struggling with behaviour, emotions, or anxiety
- there are ongoing tensions around boundaries, routines, or expectations
- parents feel stuck or unsure how best to support their child
- there has been a significant change such as separation, illness, grief, or school transitions
Family therapy can also be helpful when everyone is doing their best and things still feel hard. It is not about blame. It is about understanding patterns, strengthening connections, and finding ways to support each other more effectively.
Sessions often involve parents, carers, children, or teens together, though sometimes parts of the work happen separately. Your therapist will talk with you about what approach makes the most sense for your family.
After the session
You may notice a range of feelings after the initial appointment. Some people feel relieved, hopeful, tired, or curious about what is to come.
At the end of the session, your therapist will walk you back to the waiting room. Our admin team will assist if ongoing sessions are required and ensure your next appointment is booked in. Payment is processed automatically online.
Please feel free to ask any questions at any point. We are always happy to help.
Helpful tips for your child or teen’s first therapy appointment
- Have your child view their therapist ’s information and photo on our website to help reduce anticipatory anxiety
- Some children find it helpful to bring favourite items or sensory tools such as toys or fidgets.
- To ease nervousness, we may play games or talk about interests. We love hearing about hobbies and interests, and find this helps children feel safe and comfortable in the therapy room
- We have card games, board games, fidgets, arts and crafts, toys, and books available
- The main focus of the first appointment is to introduce ourselves and get to know each other. Building rapport is the priority
- Some children like having a parent or carer in the first session, while others are happy to come in on their own. We are flexible and will discuss what suits your child best
- Meeting a new therapist is a big step. You may want to plan something fun or enjoyable afterwards
Our approach at The Therapy Hub
Overall, we aim to provide a caring and safe space for all of our clients and their families. We are always open to feedback and ways to improve our services.
We look forward to working with you and your child at The Therapy Hub.
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