Therapy Starts Before the Initial Session episode artwork

EPISODE · May 29, 2026 · 32 MIN

Therapy Starts Before the Initial Session

from Private Practice Skills · host Private Practice Skills

I recently reached out to a therapist for myself and realized how much the entire intake process sets the tone of the therapeutic alliance.In this episode, I share some suggestions for how we can hold a therapeutic frame with potential clients before the therapy starts. Not only will it improve the client experience, but setting accurate expectations can help clients make an accurate decision before consenting to therapy, and clients are less likely to cancel before the first session (like I did!). Thank you to Paubox for sponsoring this episode. Paubox makes HIPAA-secure email easy and streamlined. Check them out here:https://bit.ly/pps_paubox_spotify*Get $250 off your first year with Paubox with coupon code "SKILLS"*Bonus Deal:* If you add the Paubox badge to your website you get an extra $100 off your first year - that means you can get your whole first year free if you apply both deals!Links Mentioned:Article: "Premature discontinuation in adult psychotherapy: a meta-analysis"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22506792/Article: “The Nature, Timing, and Symptom Trajectories of Dropout from Transdiagnostic and Single-Diagnosis Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety Disorders"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8531532/LINKS:*Some links are affiliate links. A percentage of purchases come back to me and help my channel immensely!👉 FREE Guide: Start a Private Practice in Counseling: https://tinyurl.com/y9ek9en8👉 All my filming gear: https://kit.co/privatepracticeskills/all-my-gearThis podcast is geared toward therapists of all kinds, including psychologists, MFTs, LPCCs, social workers, and others in the clinical counseling field. Welcome to Private Practice Skills! I’m Dr. Marie Fang, psychologist in private practice. I post videos offering tools I learned the hard way about starting and growing private practice so that you don’t have to.Website: www.privatepracticeskills.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/privatepracticeskillsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/privatepracticeskills/This podcast is not intended as professional or legal advice. Be sure to seek the services of a professional if you are in need of them.

I recently reached out to a therapist for myself and realized how much the entire intake process sets the tone of the therapeutic alliance.In this episode, I share some suggestions for how we can hold a therapeutic frame with potential clients before the therapy starts. Not only will it improve the client experience, but setting accurate expectations can help clients make an accurate decision before consenting to therapy, and clients are less likely to cancel before the first session (like I did!). Thank you to Paubox for sponsoring this episode. Paubox makes HIPAA-secure email easy and streamlined. Check them out here:https://bit.ly/pps_paubox_spotify*Get $250 off your first year with Paubox with coupon code "SKILLS"*Bonus Deal:* If you add the Paubox badge to your website you get an extra $100 off your first year - that means you can get your whole first year free if you apply both deals!Links Mentioned:Article: "Premature discontinuation in adult psychotherapy: a meta-analysis"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22506792/Article: “The Nature, Timing, and Symptom Trajectories of Dropout from Transdiagnostic and Single-Diagnosis Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety Disorders"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8531532/LINKS:*Some links are affiliate links. A percentage of purchases come back to me and help my channel immensely!👉 FREE Guide: Start a Private Practice in Counseling: https://tinyurl.com/y9ek9en8👉 All my filming gear: https://kit.co/privatepracticeskills/all-my-gearThis podcast is geared toward therapists of all kinds, including psychologists, MFTs, LPCCs, social workers, and others in the clinical counseling field. Welcome to Private Practice Skills! I’m Dr. Marie Fang, psychologist in private practice. I post videos offering tools I learned the hard way about starting and growing private practice so that you don’t have to.Website: www.privatepracticeskills.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/privatepracticeskillsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/privatepracticeskills/This podcast is not intended as professional or legal advice. Be sure to seek the services of a professional if you are in need of them.

NOW PLAYING

Therapy Starts Before the Initial Session

0:00 32:03

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Private Practice Skills?

This episode is 32 minutes long.

When was this Private Practice Skills episode published?

This episode was published on May 29, 2026.

What is this episode about?

I recently reached out to a therapist for myself and realized how much the entire intake process sets the tone of the therapeutic alliance.In this episode, I share some suggestions for how we can hold a therapeutic frame with potential clients...

Can I download this Private Practice Skills episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!