Getting Ready for a Consult Call
You’ve been staring at the email for fifteen minutes. The one with the therapist’s name, the Zoom link, the time.
It’s 12:57. The call is at 1.
You’ve already clicked the link once, just to make sure it works. Your fingers are cold, even though the room is warm. There’s a flutter in your chest, not quite fear or excitement: a tightening, a tremble.
You get up and pace once around the room. Your socks glide too quickly over the floor.
You open your laptop.
Then close it again.
You wipe your palms on your thighs, even though there’s no sweat. There’s that ache again, behind your eyes. It's not sadness exactly, something older and more complex to name.
You glance at the clock. 12:59.
Some part of you whispers: You could just not do this. You could close the laptop, get a snack, and scroll through something familiar. But under that voice, there’s a hum in your chest, steady and quiet: Please let this be someone who gets it.
You don’t know exactly what you’re going to say. Just that something in you is tired, and you don’t want to do it all alone anymore.
1:00.
You click the link.
When You're on the Call: What to Look For
Approaching a consult call and interviewing a new therapist can be nerve-racking. You might be unsure what to say or how to make sense of all the therapy jargon you see online. Everyone’s Psychology Today page starts to blur together. If you’ve made it this far, to the call itself, that’s already huge!
But now what? Are you supposed to interview them? Tell your whole story?
Here’s a simple guide:
Track how you feel talking to them. Do you feel more at ease over time? Do they seem genuinely interested in you?
Do you feel understood? When you share something, do they help make sense of your experience?
Do you feel judged or misunderstood? That’s important data.
Pay attention to the space they give you. If the therapist spends 20 minutes talking about themselves, that’s a red flag.
Stay within your window of comfort. You haven’t started therapy yet, so don’t feel like you have to dive into trauma. Share what feels safe to hold on your own, without needing support after the call.
It’s natural to feel anxious when speaking to someone new. But over the course of the call, you might start to notice something softening, a sense of being met, even just a little.
Questions You Can Ask:
Not sure what to say when they ask if you have questions? Here are a few you can try:
What’s your experience working with [insert identity or issue]?
Can you explain a bit about your approach or modalities?
What does a typical session with you look like?
What are your fees and billing policies?
Do you have current availability, and where do you work from?
After the Call
The screen goes dark. You sit in silence for a moment.
Your body feels different now. A little more grounded. You’re still nervous, but it’s softer. Maybe there’s a flicker of trust—a warm pulse in your belly, a spaciousness behind your ribs. Hope.
Maybe this won’t be easy. But something in you wants to try.
Something in you believes that change might be possible.
And that’s enough to begin.
Sam is a Registered Clinical Counselor, Somatic Therapist, and Couples Counselor who works online and in person in Vancouver, BC.
Fill out the form below to book your consult call now.
