Your first session.
A little less unknown.

Get the practical details.

Confirm the clinician, date, time, fee, session length and cancellation terms. For an in-person session, ask for the clinic address; for an online session, confirm the meeting link and time zone.

Before booking online care, tell the practice which country or region you will be in during the session. The clinician needs to confirm that they can provide care in that location, even if you are travelling.

Bring a starting point.

• What made you consider support now?
• What would you like to understand or change?
• What questions do you have about the clinician or the approach?

You can keep these notes for your session. There is no need to include a detailed health history in your appointment request.

Make room for the conversation.

Choose a private space where possible, check your connection and audio, and ask what to do if the connection drops. Discuss any privacy or accessibility needs with the practice beforehand.

Ask how care will work.

Discuss your goals and the proposed approach. Ask about confidentiality and its limits, clinical records and who can access them. For couples or young people, clarify how consent and information sharing work.

You can ask questions about anything you do not understand and discuss your readiness before agreeing to a next step.

Take a moment to reflect.

Consider whether you felt heard, understood the proposed next steps and had space to ask questions. You can discuss a change in approach or ask about other options if the fit does not feel right.