What to expect on your first visit

Whether you are coming for an assessment or for therapy, your first visit will begin in the same way. When you arrive, you will be greeted by our administrative assistant and asked to complete some necessary paperwork in our waiting room. Be sure to arrive 10-15 minutes early to ensure that you will have time to complete the paperwork. You will then meet the person administering your assessment or your therapist, depending on what service you are seeking. They will review PSC policies and procedures and get your informed consent. After this, you will be taken to a therapy or testing room. Assessment/therapy paths differ from this point.

The exact details of assessments differ depending on what question the assessment seeks to answer. However, most assessments share some similarities in structure. Most assessments will begin with the assessor providing a brief outline of what to expect (e.g., number of tests that will be administered, estimate of how long the assessment will take). Then the assessor will likely start with an interview that focuses on the concern at hand. Interviews vary in length, but on average take approximately an hour. From here, your assessor may administer psychological tests. Again, the type of test, number of tests, and length of time necessary to complete the tests vary depending upon the specific assessment question. In most cases, the person conducting the assessment will schedule a feedback session at the conclusion of the assessment. You will typically be provided with a verbal summary of the results during this feedback session.

In general, the first session is meant to cover a variety of material. The therapist typically starts with getting an idea of why you are here. They will likely get a history of your concern as well as general information about you. This information may seem irrelevant, but it is meant to help the therapist get to know you, your current life situation, and your background. This portion will likely take at least an hour, and many therapists extend the length of the first session. Even so, it is unlikely that all the necessary information will be gained in one session, so parts of later sessions may be used to gather additional information from you. When your session ends, your therapist will determine if we are the best agency to address your concern, and if so, will schedule your next appointment.