People rehearse this call for weeks. Some pick up the phone and hang up before it rings. A surprising number tell us, months later, that making the call was harder than anything that happened afterward.
So here is exactly what it involves, which for most people makes it considerably easier.
It is short and it is administrative
The first contact is not therapy. Nobody is going to ask you to explain your childhood on the phone.
It typically runs ten to fifteen minutes and covers four things: roughly what you are looking for help with, your scheduling constraints, your insurance or payment situation, and matching you with an appropriate clinician.
That is it. You are booking an appointment, not being assessed.
What you will be asked
"What brings you in?" A sentence or two is enough. "I've been really anxious and it's affecting my sleep." "My marriage is in trouble." "My son is struggling at school." "I don't really know, I just haven't felt right for a while."
That last one is a completely acceptable answer and we hear it constantly.
"Have you been in therapy before?" Useful for knowing what has and has not worked. No judgment attached in either direction.
"What days and times work?" Be specific and be honest about constraints. If you work graveyards and can only do late mornings, say so now — it determines who you can be matched with.
"Do you have insurance?" Have your card available if you do. If you are self-pay, say so and ask about rates.
"Is telehealth an option for you, or do you want in person?" This substantially affects availability.
"Is there anything urgent?" Answer honestly. If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, say so on this call. It changes how quickly you are seen and it is not a reason to be turned away.
What you should ask
Come with two or three of these. It is entirely appropriate.
- Do you have someone with experience in what I'm dealing with?
- What is the soonest availability, and is there a cancellation list?
- What will this cost me, specifically?
- What is your cancellation policy and fee?
- Can I see the same person consistently?
- What if the first therapist is not a good fit?
You are choosing a provider. Asking questions is normal and any competent practice will answer them directly.
What you do not have to do
You do not have to have it figured out. "Something is wrong and I can't name it" is a legitimate reason to seek help.
You do not have to be in crisis. The idea that therapy is only for emergencies keeps enormous numbers of people out of care until things are much worse than they needed to become.
You do not have to disclose details. Nothing on this call requires you to describe anything difficult.
You do not have to be certain. Booking a first appointment is not a commitment to a year of treatment.
Two minutes of preparation
If it helps to have something in hand:
- Your insurance card
- Two or three time windows that genuinely work
- One sentence about what has been going on
- One sentence about what you would like to be different in six months
That last item is the most useful thing you can bring, and it makes both the call and the first session go better.
If calling is the barrier
It is a real one, particularly for people with social anxiety, and there are ways around it.
Use the online request form. Requesting an appointment online means writing rather than speaking, and someone will follow up.
Ask for the follow-up to be by text or email. Say so in the form.
Have someone else make the call. A partner or a friend can make the initial contact, which is common and entirely acceptable.
Write down what you want to say first. Reading it is fine.
What happens next
You are matched with a clinician and given an appointment. You will typically receive intake paperwork to complete beforehand — history, consent forms, privacy notices. Completing it in advance means the first session goes to you rather than to administration.
If you are using insurance, we verify your benefits before the appointment and tell you your expected out-of-pocket cost. If you are self-pay, you receive a written Good Faith Estimate.
The first session itself is mostly about getting to know your situation and deciding together what to work on. It is a conversation, and most people report afterward that it was substantially less uncomfortable than anticipating it.
If today is urgent
If you are in crisis, do not wait for a scheduled appointment. 988 is answered any hour by call or text, free, with no insurance required and Spanish available by pressing 2. For immediate danger, call 911 and state that it is a mental health emergency.
The call is the hard part
Almost everyone who gets through it describes the same thing: an anticipation that was much worse than the reality, and relief afterward at having finally done something.
Call 725-238-6990, or request an appointment online if writing is easier than speaking. Either way, the difficult part is nearly over by the time you finish.