--- title: "What to Expect in Your First Therapy Session | Ubuntu Counseling" description: "What a first therapy session at Ubuntu Counseling in Eugene, Oregon is actually like: the room, the questions, and what you are not expected to bring. Free 30-minute call first." lang: en json-ld: | { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "MedicalWebPage", "name": "What to Expect in Your First Session", "description": "What a first therapy session at Ubuntu Counseling in Eugene, Oregon is actually like: the room, the questions, and what you are not expected to bring. Free 30-minute call first.", "url": "https://ubuntucounselingeugene.com/what-to-expect-in-your-first-session", "about": "Before You Come", "provider": { "@type": "MedicalBusiness", "name": "Ubuntu Counseling", "telephone": "+1-458-215-1465" }, "areaServed": { "@type": "State", "name": "Oregon" }, "inLanguage": "en-US" } --- [![Ubuntu Counseling butterfly logo](/__l5e/assets-v1/01187caf-6a1d-4921-b206-5538892f6bb3/ubuntu-counseling-logo.png)Ubuntu Counseling Heather Swaney, MA, LPC ](/) - [About](/about) - Services - [Autism](/services/autism) - [ADHD](/services/adhd) - [Trauma and PTSD](/services/trauma-and-ptsd) - [Anxiety](/services/anxiety) - [Grief and Loss](/services/grief-and-loss) - [Life Transitions](/services/life-transitions) - [LGBTQIA+ Affirming](/services/lgbtqia-affirming) - [Couples and Family](/services/couples-and-family) - [Consultation and Letters](/services/consultation-and-letters) - [Reunification and Co-Parenting](/services/reunification-and-co-parenting) - [Foster Parent Support](/services/foster-parent-support) - [All services](/services) - Who I Help - [Children and Teens](/who-i-help/children-and-teens) - [Young Adults](/who-i-help/young-adults) - [Adults](/who-i-help/adults) - [Seniors](/who-i-help/seniors) - [Couples](/who-i-help/couples) - [Families and Parents](/who-i-help/families-and-parents) - [LGBTQIA+ Affirming](/services/lgbtqia-affirming) - [Everyone I see](/who-i-help) - Locations - [Eugene, Oregon](/eugene-therapist) - [Springfield, Oregon](/springfield-therapist) - [Lane County](/lane-county-therapist) - [Telehealth in Oregon](/oregon-telehealth) - [The Office](/office) - [Rates](/rates) - [FAQ](/faq) - [Contact](/contact) [Free 30-minute call](/contact)Menu [About](/about) Services - [Autism](/services/autism) - [ADHD](/services/adhd) - [Trauma and PTSD](/services/trauma-and-ptsd) - [Anxiety](/services/anxiety) - [Grief and Loss](/services/grief-and-loss) - [Life Transitions](/services/life-transitions) - [LGBTQIA+ Affirming](/services/lgbtqia-affirming) - [Couples and Family](/services/couples-and-family) - [Consultation and Letters](/services/consultation-and-letters) - [Reunification and Co-Parenting](/services/reunification-and-co-parenting) - [Foster Parent Support](/services/foster-parent-support) - [All services](/services) Who I Help - [Children and Teens](/who-i-help/children-and-teens) - [Young Adults](/who-i-help/young-adults) - [Adults](/who-i-help/adults) - [Seniors](/who-i-help/seniors) - [Couples](/who-i-help/couples) - [Families and Parents](/who-i-help/families-and-parents) - [LGBTQIA+ Affirming](/services/lgbtqia-affirming) - [Everyone I see](/who-i-help) Locations - [Eugene, Oregon](/eugene-therapist) - [Springfield, Oregon](/springfield-therapist) - [Lane County](/lane-county-therapist) - [Telehealth in Oregon](/oregon-telehealth) - [The Office](/office) [Rates](/rates)[FAQ](/faq)[Contact](/contact) [Call (458) 215-1465](tel:+14582151465) [Services](/services) # What to Expect in Your First Session You are not expected to arrive with it organized. Most people describe a situation rather than a problem, and that is a perfectly good start. ## Before the First Session: the Free Call Almost everyone starts with a free 30-minute consultation. It is a real conversation, not a sales call. You tell me roughly what is going on, I tell you how I work, and we both get a sense of whether this is the right room for it. It is also where the practical questions belong. Scheduling, cost, whether in person or telehealth makes more sense for you, what to do about childcare, whether a child should come to the first appointment or whether you should come alone first. If I am not the right fit, because of what you need, my scope, or simply the feel of the conversation, I will say so and try to point you somewhere better. That happens, and it is not a failure of anything. ## The Room The office is at 132 E Broadway, Suite 303, in downtown Eugene. It is one small, warm room with natural light, books and games on the shelves. Children, teenagers and adults all use the same space, which some adults find surprising and most find relaxing. You can sit wherever you like. Keep your coat on. Bring coffee. Bring notes on your phone. Look out the window instead of at me. If a light or a sound is wrong, say so and we will change it. That is not an imposition, it is information about what helps you settle. If we are meeting by telehealth, the same applies from wherever you can shut a door. A car in a quiet lot counts, and it is more common than people think. ## What I Will Ask, and What I Won't Mostly I will listen. I will ask what brought you in now rather than a year ago, what you have already tried, including the things that half worked, and what you would like to be different. I will ask a bit about your history and the people around you, because context changes what makes sense. I will not require you to tell me the hardest thing on the first day. You can say a topic exists and that you are not ready to open it, and we will leave it there until you are. Being able to stop is part of what makes the room usable. With children, the first session is usually play and getting to know each other, and I meet with caregivers separately so the adult conversation does not happen over a child's head. ## Paperwork, Privacy and the Boring Parts There are forms: consent, practice policies, contact details. I will go over the parts that matter out loud rather than assuming you read the fine print, particularly confidentiality and its limits, which include mandatory reporting and situations involving immediate danger. Sessions typically run around fifty minutes. Most people come weekly at first, though that is negotiable, and there is no requirement to commit to a long course of anything. Some people want a specific stretch of work, and that is a legitimate goal. Payment is private pay, with a sliding scale for a limited number of spots, and there is a 24-hour cancellation policy. All of it can be asked about on the free call rather than discovered later. ## Afterward People leave a first session feeling all kinds of ways. Relieved, flat, oddly tired, unsure whether anything happened. All of that is normal, and none of it is a reliable indicator of whether therapy will work for you. What is worth noticing over the first few sessions is whether you feel heard, whether you can disagree with me, and whether you leave with a little more room than you arrived with. Those are the signals that matter. If it is not working, say so. I would much rather hear it than have someone quietly stop coming. Practical Details - Free 30-minute call to start - 132 E Broadway, Suite 303, Eugene - Wed–Fri 10am–6pm, Sat 10am–4pm - Sessions run about fifty minutes - Telehealth anywhere in Oregon - 24-hour cancellation policy Next Step ## Start With a Free 30-Minute Call A short conversation so I can hear what is going on and we can decide together whether this is the right room for it. [Get in touch](/contact)[(458) 215-1465](tel:+14582151465) Related Reading [ ### How to Choose a Therapist in Eugene What to ask, including of me. ](/how-to-choose-a-therapist-in-eugene) [ ### Do You Take Insurance? Private pay, superbills and what to ask an insurer. ](/do-you-take-insurance) [ ### The Office Photographs of the room and how to find it. ](/office) ![Ubuntu Counseling butterfly logo](/__l5e/assets-v1/01187caf-6a1d-4921-b206-5538892f6bb3/ubuntu-counseling-logo.png)Ubuntu Counseling Heather Swaney, MA, LPC Office 132 E Broadway Suite 303 Eugene, OR 97401 [(458) 215-1465](tel:+14582151465) In person in Eugene, telehealth anywhere in Oregon. Weekend appointments available. Pages - [About Heather](/about) - [Services](/services) - [Rates and Payment](/rates) - [Who I Help](/who-i-help) - [Eugene, Oregon](/eugene-therapist) - [Springfield, Oregon](/springfield-therapist) - [Lane County, Oregon](/lane-county-therapist) - [Telehealth in Oregon](/oregon-telehealth) - [The Office](/office) - [Frequently Asked Questions](/faq) - [Contact](/contact) - [Privacy Policy](/privacy-policy) - [Terms of Use](/terms) - [Accessibility](/accessibility) Who I Help - [Children and Teens](/who-i-help/children-and-teens) - [Young Adults](/who-i-help/young-adults) - [Adults](/who-i-help/adults) - [Seniors](/who-i-help/seniors) - [Couples](/who-i-help/couples) - [Families and Parents](/who-i-help/families-and-parents) Areas of Focus - [Autism](/services/autism) - [ADHD](/services/adhd) - [Trauma and PTSD](/services/trauma-and-ptsd) - [Anxiety](/services/anxiety) - [Grief and Loss](/services/grief-and-loss) - [Life Transitions](/services/life-transitions) - [LGBTQIA+ Affirming](/services/lgbtqia-affirming) - [Couples and Family](/services/couples-and-family) - [Consultation and Letters](/services/consultation-and-letters) * * * Using this site or emailing does not create a client relationship. Email and web forms are not secure or monitored channels. Do not send clinical or emergency information. Therapy outcomes vary and are not guaranteed. In crisis, call or text 988, or 911 if there is immediate danger. Lane County Mobile Crisis [541-682-1001](tel:+15416821001). Heather Swaney is licensed as a Professional Counselor in Oregon and works only with people located in Oregon. Heather Swaney, MA, LPC, Oregon LPC license C8649. [Verified on the Oregon Counselors Directory](https://orcounselors.com/provider/heather-swaney-ma-lpc-behavioral-health-therapist). © 2026 Ubuntu Counseling. All rights reserved. Call now / Book now