Every client is anxious before their first psychotherapy appointment. Why not address a client's apprehension in the waiting room even before the first session? This is the essential book to have in your therapy waiting room for clients to read, browse or even just flip through as they wait for you, the therapist to emerge for the first time.
This book celebrates and affirms your client's courage to come to therapy even before you meet them, while they wait in your waiting room!
As a therapist, you are likely aware of those raw, tense moments in the waiting room for a client before the first appointment. Increased heart rate, sweaty palms, nervous gut, tight chest-are pretty typical experiences for most clients in a waiting room before the initial session with you.
Clients don't know what to expect, they aren't quite sure what to do with themselves while waiting, and all the while feeling the anxiety that is normal-but is incredibly uncomfortable-before a first session. Now a beautiful and encouraging book to occupy those vulnerable moments in a peaceful calming way. Validate the feeling and have them know that you admire their bravery and willingness to explore something uncomfortable.
Let your client know that they matter, that you will be respectful and co-create goals, outcomes and process together with them. Acknowledge how hard therapy can be--but that you will be with them in those dark places in a therapeutic way. Let them know they can likely expect beautiful, joy-filled profoundly human moments of connection together with you.
Is there still time to run? is a beautiful coffee table-style book for a patient/client to read prior to the first session. The pictures of nature scenes are stunning to look at for those too dysregulated to concentrate effectively. A few lines on every page are designed to honor the courage of the client to attend the first session, and teach some basics about what to expect in the first session so as to calm and reassure the client while they wait.
There is a page at the end of the book inviting you to write a personal, handwritten note to clients about your style and your approach-about your desire to work well and move them forward.
This is an excellent resource for therapists, counsellors and psychologists who relate to clients with a collaborative, respectful, client centered style. It embraces person-centered, humanistic, feminist therapy approaches that recognize the significance of the therapeutic relationship between client and therapist as itself deeply healing. It empowers the client, even as it begins to develop the therapeutic alliance.
It's great for folks who wonder what to expect in a first counseling session. This is an powerful way to develop positive expectations about something that many spend years avoiding.
Attending a first session of therapy can feel very intimidating...and now a resource to make the path to the therapist feel just a little bit more do-able.
Great as a teaching tool for the psychology, social work and family therapy students who seek to understand what a quality therapeutic alliance looks like.
