Before commencing your sessions with a psychologist, you will be required to complete intake and consent forms. Some psychologists will send these to you to complete beforehand, while others may ask you to come early to your first session so that you have time to complete these before your appointment.
Consent forms often cover issues such as privacy, confidentiality, and access to information. If you have any questions about these or your rights in therapy, this is a great opportunity to start that discussion with your psychologist.
Take some time before the session to write down any other questions you might have, or main points you feel are the most important to communicate. If it is hard to clarify exactly what you would like to achieve from seeking psychological support, it can handy to frame it in what is called the “Miracle Question”1: If a miracle happens and whatever that brings you here gets solved, how would your life be different? How would you think, feel and behave differently?
Reflecting on this may help you clarify and communicate your goals, needs and purpose in attending sessions with your psychologist.
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1. Tryon, G. S., Birch, S. E., & Verkuilen, J. (2018). Meta-analyses of the relation of goal consensus and collaboration to psychotherapy outcome. Psychotherapy, 55(4), 372.