Starting therapy

[soph ie]

I am going to be starting therapy next week for the first time, and I am very nervous. I am scared to open up to a stranger about my problems, and am also worried that my mum could find out about what is said. I don't know what to expect from therapy, or how well I will respond to it. I don't really know what I want out of posting this here, but I just wanted to get it off my chest. If anyone has any comments or advice, or can relate to this it would help!

[Monsoon]

Hey there,

Thanks for sharing this with us. All of your thoughts and feelings are completely normal; going to someone you don't know and opening up is a really scary thought, but just as a bit of reassurance, remember, this person is a highly trained professional who will know exactly how to respond to you and make you feel safe. What do you think? 

[soph ie]

I am quite a socially anxious person, so I am not very good at talking, particularly to new people. I really want to get better and I want this to be a positive thing that will help me, but I don't know if I can engage in a way that would help me as much as it could.

[Monsoon]

Hey there,

Thank you for telling me about the anxiety you experience. I'm wondering, would you say you experience social anxiety or you're a socially anxious person? I'm just wondering, is this an identity or a feeling? 

[soph ie]

I'm not sure, I don't like to say I have social anxiety as this hasn't been diagnosed, but I do feel this may be the case. 

[Monsoon]

Hey there,

Okay, and I’m wondering, can you tell me more about the anxiety you feel? What kinds of thoughts go through your head when you’re in a social situation? 

[soph ie]

I worry a lot that people are looking at me and judging me, and get very tense and upset. I sometimes get overwhelming feelings where I feel I just need to leave and my eyes get fuzzy and water. I'm worried this will happen in my first session with a therapist and I dont know how to control it or calm down. I have tried some simple exercises like square breathing and finding 5 things i can see, 4 things I can touch etc., but then I feel like people can see me and know what I am doing, so worsening my anxiety. 

[Blondie]

1 hour ago, soph ie said:

I worry a lot that people are looking at me and judging me, and get very tense and upset. I sometimes get overwhelming feelings where I feel I just need to leave and my eyes get fuzzy and water. I'm worried this will happen in my first session with a therapist and I dont know how to control it or calm down. I have tried some simple exercises like square breathing and finding 5 things i can see, 4 things I can touch etc., but then I feel like people can see me and know what I am doing, so worsening my anxiety. 

Hi there, as Monsoon said, it's completely normal to feel anxious before starting therapy but they will go out of their way to make you feel safe and comfortable. 

They are also completely used to people becoming overwhelmed, emotional anxious etc and will support you through in a way that won't make you feel awkward at all.

They want to help you and you absolutely deserve the best help.