Initial Therapy Session
A new client attends their first therapy session with a licensed therapist, discussing their reasons for seeking help and setting initial goals.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
overwhelming
Describes a feeling or situation that is too much to handle, often causing stress or confusion. Use it when talking about intense emotions, like 'The workload is overwhelming.'
stressed
Feeling worried or under pressure, often from work or life events. It's a common word for describing mental strain, e.g., 'I'm feeling stressed about exams.'
anxious
A feeling of nervousness or worry about something uncertain. Use it in conversations about emotions, like 'I feel anxious before meetings.'
trigger
Something that causes a strong emotional response or starts a problem. In therapy, it means an event that sparks anxiety, e.g., 'Loud noises are a trigger for me.'
decompress
To relax and release built-up stress after a tough time. It's useful for talking about recovery, like 'I need time to decompress after work.'
irritable
Easily annoyed or bad-tempered. Describe mood changes due to stress, e.g., 'I'm more irritable when I'm tired.'
boundaries
Limits you set in relationships or work to protect your well-being. In mental health, it means saying no to extra tasks, e.g., 'Setting boundaries helps reduce stress.'
patterns
Repeated behaviors or feelings that happen regularly. In therapy, it refers to recognizing anxiety habits, like 'Let's look at your anxiety patterns.'
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
What brings you here?
This is a polite, open-ended question to ask why someone is seeking help or visiting. It's useful in professional or supportive conversations, like therapy or counseling, to encourage sharing without pressure. Grammar: Simple present tense for general inquiry.
I've been feeling really stressed and anxious lately.
This sentence describes ongoing emotions using present perfect continuous tense ('I've been feeling') to show recent, continuing experiences. It's practical for expressing personal issues in therapy or with friends, helping to start discussions about mental health.
It sounds like you're carrying a heavy load right now.
An empathetic way to acknowledge someone's stress, using 'sounds like' for indirect empathy. The idiom 'carrying a heavy load' means bearing a lot of burden. Use it to show understanding in supportive talks; it's common in counseling.
Can you tell me a bit more about when these feelings started?
This invites more details politely with 'Can you tell me' and 'a bit more' to soften the request. Useful for gathering information in conversations or interviews. Grammar: Question form with 'when' for time-related details.
What are you hoping to achieve from our sessions together?
Asks about goals using 'hoping to achieve' in future context. It's key in therapy or planning talks to set expectations. Practical for goal-setting discussions; shows focus on positive outcomes.
I really want to learn how to manage this anxiety better.
Expresses a desire for improvement with 'want to learn how to' structure. Useful for stating personal goals in self-help or therapy. Grammar: Infinitive 'to manage' after 'how to' for purpose.
Those are excellent and very achievable goals.
Positive reinforcement using 'excellent and very achievable' to encourage. Common in motivational or therapeutic responses. Use it to build confidence when someone shares plans; adjective agreement with plural 'goals.'
I'm ready to put in the work.
Shows commitment with idiom 'put in the work' meaning to make an effort. Practical for expressing determination in learning or therapy contexts. Informal and motivational tone.