How to Prepare for a Therapy Intake Session 

Congratulations on taking an important step toward caring for your mental health. Choosing to begin psychotherapy requires self-awareness, courage, and a commitment to yourself, and that alone matters.

Once you’ve found a therapist and scheduled your first appointment, it’s natural to wonder what comes next. Social media can be noisy and often misleading when it comes to mental health, which is why clinician-informed resources like this guide can help you feel grounded and prepared.

Below, we’ll walk through how to prepare, what happens during your first psychotherapy session, and how treatment planning begins.

How To Prepare: Therapy Intake Forms

Most mental health providers, including LifeStance, use intake forms or questionnaires before or during the first session to gather important background information. These forms help your therapist better understand what motivated you to seek treatment and often guide ongoing conversations about how treatment is progressing.

  • Therapists review these forms before your session.
  • Providing more detail can help your therapist better understand your needs.
  • Completing them early (1–2 days before your appointment) ensures your therapist has time to review.

Tips for Completing Therapy Intake Forms

  • Answer all questions, even optional ones.
  • Use lists or short answers; no need for essays.
  • Be honest and thorough. Your responses are handled in accordance with applicable privacy laws.
  • If you’re not sure about how to respond, trust your gut. Ask your therapist for more details about the questions and how responses can impact treatment.

Which Screening Tools Therapists Use

As part of the intake process, you may complete standardized screening tools. Many clinicians use these tools as part of measurement-based care (MBC), an evidence-based approach that aims to inform and personalize treatment over time. These questionnaires are screening tools and not diagnostic on their own.

Common tools include:

Tip: These questionnaires are not tests you can “fail.” They provide a baseline and can help track progress throughout therapy and may assist your therapist in adjusting treatment based on real feedback rather than guesswork.

What Happens During Your Psychotherapy Intake Session

The first therapy session is not just administrative; it’s a clinical appointment focused on assessment, understanding, and collaboration.

Your first session typically centers around a psychosocial assessment. While this builds on information from your intake forms, discussing it in real time allows your therapist to clarify details, ask follow-up questions, and better understand how your experiences affect your daily life.

The psychosocial assessment allows therapists to understand where the struggles lie, provide a preliminary diagnosis, engage in treatment-planning, and ensure that your needs will be met. It offers a good opportunity for you to collaborate with your clinician and to look at other services that might be helpful in addition to your therapy. It is also a great chance to make sure that the therapist is a good fit for you.

Be prepared to answer questions, ask questions, and make your needs known. It’s important to remember that you may not know the answers to some questions, but that’s okay! As treatment progresses, your treatment path will likely flex to your life-situation, challenges, and progress. Therapy is a journey and the path can change, but that’s part of the process.

Common questions in a psychosocial assessment

Some of the many questions that your therapist may ask you can include:

Presenting Problem

  • What brings you to therapy? (e.g., anxiety, depression)
  • How long have you experienced this issue?
  • Did something trigger it?
  • Why are you seeking help now?
  • How is it affecting your home or work life?

Mental Health History

  • Have you been in therapy before?
  • Any inpatient or outpatient programs?
  • Are you currently taking medication?

Trauma History

  • Share what you’re comfortable with.
  • If nothing comes to mind, that’s okay and you can discuss later.

Substance Use

  • What substances have you used, and for how long?
  • If sober, what helped you get there?
  • Remember: therapists strive to provide non-judgmental, supportive care.

Cultural, Spiritual, or Religious Considerations

  • These details help therapists understand your values and strengths.

Medical Concerns

  • Chronic pain or medications can impact mental health.

Personal Strengths

  • Family support
  • Education
  • Hobbies
  • Financial resources
  • Don’t be afraid to brag; strengths help shape treatment

LifeStance Health is a national leader in mental, behavioral, and emotional wellness with multiple locations in 33 states. Services vary by location.

Find a provider near you:

What to Bring to Your Intake Therapy Session

  • Required:
    • Photo ID
    • Insurance information
    • Payment method (if applicable)
  • Helpful but Optional:
    • Previous mental health records
    • Notebook for notes
  • For Minors:
    • Custody paperwork (if applicable)
    • Guardianship paperwork (if applicable)
    • School records (if they pertain to treatment)
    • Previous assessments

Setting Goals for Therapy

Setting goals is an important part of therapy and treatment planning. Think about what you’d like to accomplish, whether that’s managing symptoms, improving relationships, or building coping skills. Specific, measurable goals often work best.

Goal setting is also a patient‑centered process. Your therapist will collaborate with you to develop goals that reflect your priorities, values, and lived experience. This shared approach helps ensure care is personalized and responsive to your needs as therapy progresses.

Here are some goal-setting examples:

Depression

  • Work toward increasing energy
  • Sleep more consistently
  • Attend one social activity per week

Anxiety

  • Aim to reduce anxious thoughts
  • Identify three triggers
  • Practice five coping skills

PTSD

  • Learn three grounding techniques
  • Identify five personal strengths

Substance Use

  • Attend 90 meetings in 90 days
  • Develop three relapse prevention strategies

These examples illustrate common therapy goals, which will vary based on individual needs and clinical recommendations.

Final Thoughts

Your first psychotherapy session is about understanding and collaboration, not perfection. While preparing in advance can help, the most important part is showing up as you are.

Your therapist will guide the process, explain next steps, and work with you to build a treatment plan that fits your needs. Therapy is a journey, and it’s normal for the path to adjust along the way.

The intake process and forms described here are provided as general examples and may vary by provider, location, and individual circumstances. These examples are for informational purposes only and are not exhaustive. Your therapist or clinic may use different questionnaires or procedures. Please consult your clinician for details specific to your care. Medications are prescribed only when clinically appropriate and should be taken as directed by a licensed professional.

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Authored By 

Anthony Mason, MSW, LCSW

Hello, If you're visiting this site, you or a loved one may be facing something difficult right now. I'm truly sorry you're going through this, and I admire your courage in seeking help. I earned my Master’s in Social Work...

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