How to have a great 15-minute therapy consultation

Patient background

For the first five minutes, find out what’s bringing the client to the consultation. You could ask questions like: 

• Why are you considering therapy now? 
• Have you been in therapy before? 
• What are you looking for in a therapist? 
• What’s worked for you in the past, and what hasn’t?
• Do you have any specific goals to achieve? 

Provider background

For the next five minutes, discuss your therapeutic approach, style, techniques used, focus area, and any specialties. This is a great time to share your elevator pitch.

After sharing your approach, you could ask questions like:

• How do you envision therapy going? 
• Do you have any experience with the treatment techniques I use? 
• If you’ve been in therapy before, what did you like (or not like) about your past therapist’s approach?
• Does my approach sound like it will address the specific symptoms bringing you to therapy?

Payment and logistics

For the next few minutes, talk logistics, such as whether you see clients virtually or in person and how often you typically see clients. You should also cover logistical issues like your schedule, fees, cancellation policy, and confidentiality. These details, along with your therapy style and personality, can help the client determine if they want to work with you as a therapist. 

To make sure you two are aligned on logistics, you could ask questions like:

• When, where, and how often are you looking to meet?
• Can you commit to a regular meeting time? 
• If you’ll have to meet during your work day, do you have a plan for managing the time and emotional demands of therapy appointments?
• If you’d like to meet virtually, do you have a place where you can reliably speak openly and without interruption?
• Do you plan to self-pay or use insurance? 

Patient questions

For the final few minutes of your consultation, spend time answering any questions the client may have for you. Remember that—particularly if your potential client has never been in therapy before—they may not have the vocabulary to ask specific questions about your approach and treatment style. In fact, they may need some guidance from you to ask any questions at all. 

To get a prospective client thinking deeply and asking the right questions, you could try using prompts like:  

• Is there anything you don’t understand about the therapeutic process?
• Do you have any goals or desired results that we haven’t discussed yet? 
• Do you have any fears or concerns about starting therapy?

Important reminder: Consultations are not an intake session, so always redirect if a client starts into therapy.