During a first session with a family, I sometimes get asked questions, but sometimes families cannot think of what to ask. Below I have written the five common therapy questions I do get asked. I have also written some questions that a therapist should get asked. To read the full list, sign up for this freebie below.

Disclaimer: The statements made in this blog are not medical advice. If you need medical help please reach out to a physician or other medical provider. You may also contact the U.S. national crisis line by dialing 988.

The Five Common Questions asked in Therapy

1. What is your availability?

I get asked this question the most. Depending on where you go for services, this answer will differ. 

Most families want to know if I have before or after school appointments. Usually this is because they are afraid of them missing too much school, which I get. Unfortunately, I cannot accommodate seeing everyone outside of school hours. Unless I only want to see two or three kids/families a day.

Most therapists can provide school notes if you ask. And, if your child is having issues at school, chances are they are more than willing to accommodate appointments if the family is working toward resolving the issues.

2. Do you offer telehealth appointments?

This question is usually asked in follow-up to the previous question. Telehealth appointments are therapy sessions done via video and audio call. Each therapist is different in their offering of this. For me, I only offer this for kids I see that are AT LEAST nine or older. 

The reason for this is because in my experience, the younger kids do not do well in a telehealth appointment. Kids get distracted or just want to walk around everywhere which leads to me getting dizzy or seeing something I shouldn’t–like a caregiver in the bathroom. 

There are of course exceptions to this. I have had kids younger than nine do well with telehealth and those who are older not. Every kid is different.

3. How often do you recommend sessions occur?

This answer will vary depending on individual needs and availability. When I first start seeing someone new, I like starting out weekly if schedules allow. This gives me and the kid/family I am working with time to get to know each other and get comfortable communicating. 

As improvements are made, sessions can decrease to whatever is felt as necessary until therapy is no longer needed. 

4. What does a typical session look like?

I get asked some variation of this question toward the end of each evaluation/initial session with a family. Again, my answer will vary depending on the family–see a pattern here? My usual response is that after the initial session, I will leave it up to the kid whether they want anyone else in the room with them for future sessions.

Some kids want their caregiver with them, some want their caregiver to attend only part of a session and others are ready for their caregiver to wait outside while they talk to me. 

My therapy style is very child-led unless I feel it is having a negative impact on the therapeutic process. So, if a kid has their caregiver coming in so they can avoid talking to me and just play, I will have the caregiver sit outside. 

5. How long do you foresee him/her being in therapy? 

You will not get a concrete timeline of how long therapy will take. There are just too many factors to make that kind of determination. Each individual/family is different so even if two people came in with the same issue, one might finish therapy before the other. 

Are there certain therapy interventions that have an estimate of how many weeks it will take to complete? Sure. But again, everyone is different and things can happen that alternate that timeline. Like sessions being missed or one portion of the intervention taking longer than others.

Finding these questions helpful? Then subscribe to get access to a free longer list of questions to ask!

The Other Questions You Should Ask

Below are questions I think anyone considering therapy or currently in therapy should be asking. Sometimes, people forget to ask when in the session because they get overwhelmed–me–or they are afraid to ask. 

1. What is your experience working with_______? 

I do not get asked this question by families very often. I do share how long I have been working as a therapist and what my specializations are. This helps families–and me–determine if I will be a good fit. 

If you want to know what experience your therapist has, ask. In fact, I highly encourage you to ask. A good therapist will not be offended by the question. This question saves the therapist and you time if they are not a good fit.  

2. How will my progress be measured?

Going into therapy, there should be goals that a kid or individual has. When I ask families, the caregivers will have goals like “I want them to be happy” or “To be able to handle emotions.” While these are good goals, how would you measure them and track progress? These goals are too general. 

An example of a good goal would be “I want them to not hit when angry.” This is something that a family and therapist can more easily track. 

3. What should I do if we see each other outside of the office?

I never get asked this question and working in a big city, it is not something that is thought about often. However, I remember when going to school in a smaller town and I was taught to have a conversation with families about this.

If you or your child are seeing a therapist and you run into that therapist out in the world, don’t expect them to say hi first. They are not being rude or avoiding you, they are just respecting your right to privacy and confidentiality. When you are out with other people and they ask “how do you know this person” are you prepared to answer that they are your therapist? Some may not be comfortable with others knowing they see a therapist. So if you see your therapist, you can either ignore them or say hello first. 

There you have it! These are some of the questions you should be asking when starting therapy. I have a more detailed list of questions that you can access by subscribing to my blog. There is also a space to add your own questions you may have.

Like this post? Share it! Then check out: 

Does My Kid Need Therapy, How Does Therapy Actually Work