New to Therapy
Maybe you’re here because someone close to you—your partner, a family member, or a friend—told you it’s time to give therapy a try. Or maybe something big happened recently, and you’re not sure how to work through it on your own. Sometimes it’s the weight of old history, the sense that past experiences are catching up with you. Other times it’s the realization that you’ve been leaning too much on friends or a partner, and you don’t want every hard conversation to fall on them. Whatever brought you here, you’re not alone. We see a lot of people who are brand new to therapy, and our job is to make this first step feel as comfortable as possible.
What Therapy Looks Like Here
I know starting therapy can feel intimidating. A lot of people imagine what they’ve seen on TV—lying on a couch while a therapist nods silently for an hour. Or they’ve heard that therapy means spending weeks going over your whole life story before you ever get to talk about what’s bothering you right now. At Modern Therapy Alliance, therapy doesn’t look like that.
Here’s how it really works with us. The first step is practical—we’ll confirm your insurance and make sure the concerns you want to work on are a good fit for what we do. And I want to be clear about this: insurance should be the last of your worries. We take the lead on figuring out your coverage and what it means for you. You’ll never get a surprise bill from us. If there’s ever even a chance of something not being covered, we’ll tell you upfront before an appointment happens. You should be focused on therapy, not paperwork or billing.
Finding the Right Fit
We’ll also be honest if we’re not the right fit. Nobody should tell you they “do everything.” If your needs fall outside our scope, we’ll explain how the process of finding a therapist works and connect you with someone who can help. Therapy is too important for you to waste time with the wrong provider, and we’d rather see you in good hands than try to hold onto you ourselves.
Free 15-Minute Consultation
Next comes the free 15-minute consultation. This is your chance to get a feel for how we work and see if it feels like a match. We’ll usually start with a simple question: “What’s going on?” From there, it’s a conversation—just like our sessions. We’ll talk about what you’re looking for and what you hope therapy will help with. It’s also your time to ask anything you want. Some people want to know if we’ve had personal life experience with what they’re going through. Others ask about the modalities we use, like CBT, DBT, ACT, or IFS. If you don’t have a lot of questions, that’s fine too—we can walk you through the common things people usually want to know. Either way, the consultation is about you. There’s no pressure, no commitment, and no cost.
Your First Session
If you feel comfortable after the consultation, we’ll schedule your first session. And because we know people usually want to start quickly once they’ve made the decision, we’ll call or text you back within a couple of hours and can often get you on the phone for that consultation within 24 hours.
In that first full session, we don’t spend six weeks gathering your background before doing anything meaningful. Most people start therapy because something has changed or something feels urgent. We get right to it—talking about what brought you in and helping you understand what’s going on or building a plan for how to move forward. Over time, yes, we’ll want to learn more about you: your family, your history, your work, your choices. But we don’t expect you to come in and talk for an hour while we stay silent and then send you a bill. You should feel like you’re getting value from day one.
Another thing I want you to know: we’ve heard it all. You’re not going to shock us. Whether it’s struggles with anxiety, fights in your relationship, money stress, or even something you feel ashamed of, this is a safe space. Therapy is confidential, and my job is to help—not to judge. I don’t expect you to trust me right out of the gate, but I will work hard to earn it.
What to Expect
Starting therapy is about building a connection with someone who will be honest with you, support you, and help you make progress. That’s what you can expect at Modern Therapy Alliance.
Ready to Begin?
If you’re ready to take that first step, schedule your free 15-minute consultation today. We’ll be in touch within hours and can often get you talking with a therapist in as little as 24 hours.