What to Expect in Your First Therapy Session

Most people imagine their first therapy session will be soothing, calming, or immediately relieving. Sometimes it is. But often, the first session feels a little awkward, strange, or even uncomfortable. And that’s not a problem. In fact, it can be the beginning of something important.

So much of suffering comes from avoiding discomfort. We distract, run, or numb ourselves the moment something feels too raw or unfamiliar. In therapy, part of the work is to gently turn toward discomfort instead of away from it. Your first session is often where you begin practicing this — noticing how unease shows up in your body, and discovering that you can actually stay with it.

You don’t need to bring the perfect story or polished explanations of your life. What matters is your willingness to arrive as you are, even if that feels messy. Together, we explore your breath, your body, and the subtle sensations that carry the truth of your experience.

This approach is similar in spirit to Eckhart Tolle’s teachings: presence transforms. When you sit with discomfort rather than fleeing from it, the energy shifts. What felt unbearable begins to soften, simply because it has been met with awareness instead of resistance.

Leaving your first session, you may feel lighter, or unsettled, or simply curious. All of these are signs the process has begun. Therapy is not about comfort alone; it’s about expanding your capacity to be with life as it is — even the parts that once felt unfaceable.

For many people, choosing the right therapist is as important as showing up for the first session. In the next step of your journey, it can help to explore how to find a therapist who will meet you in this work — someone who can help you lean into discomfort rather than avoid it. You can read more about this in How to Choose the Right Therapist for You.

First Session FAQ

Will the first session feel awkward?
It might. Many people feel uncertain or self-conscious at first. This discomfort is part of the process, and learning to stay with it is where change begins.

When people think about their first session with a therapist, they often expect it to feel clear, comfortable, or even soothing. But the truth is: your first session may feel strange, unfamiliar, or even unsettling. And that’s not a problem, it’s part of the process.

Therapy, at least the kind I practice, is not about dissecting your past or labelling your feelings with neat, intellectual concepts. It’s about paying attention to what is actually happening in you; in your body, in your breath, in this present moment.

In the first session, we begin with something simple: noticing. You may find that your mind wants to escape, to analyze, or to run away from what feels uncomfortable. This is perfectly natural. Most of us spend our lives avoiding discomfort, and in doing so, we often repeat the same patterns and get stuck in the same loops.

But therapy invites you into a different relationship with your discomfort. Instead of resisting it, you can start to stay with it, breathe into it, and slowly discover that the tension you fear doesn’t have to control you.

This is not about pushing you into the deep end. It’s about allowing space for your nervous system to experience, little by little, that discomfort can be met with awareness rather than avoidance. In time, that shift becomes liberating — because when you learn to be with your discomfort, you are no longer ruled by it.

Your first session is not meant to give you all the answers. It’s a beginning. It’s a chance to notice what arises, even if what arises feels uncertain. Often, that very uncertainty is where the seeds of change are planted.

What if I don’t know what to say?
That’s fine. The body often speaks louder than words. We use breath and awareness to guide the session, so you don’t have to force anything.

Is discomfort a bad sign?
Not at all. Discomfort often signals that you are touching something important. Therapy helps you learn to remain present, instead of repeating the old loop of avoidance.

What will I leave with after the first session?
Not a finished solution, but a beginning. A sense of having entered into the work — one breath, one moment of presence at a time.