What to Expect in Your First ISTDP Session

Starting therapy can feel uncertain, but the first ISTDP (Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy) session is designed to be clear, focused, and useful from the very beginning.

A longer first session

Your first session lasts two hours. This gives us enough time to move beyond introductions and begin meaningful therapeutic work right away. Instead of spending the first few weeks just talking around the issues, ISTDP helps you start making progress in session one.

Starting with what matters most

We begin with the issue that feels most important to you. The aim is to focus directly on what you want to change so that therapy can start straight away, rather than weeks down the line. This makes the first session an active step towards creating change, not just an assessment.

Working together in the moment

As you talk, I’ll be interactive, asking questions, slowing things down, and helping you become more aware of how the problem shows up in real time in the session. This allows us to see the patterns that often keep difficulties in place, and to begin addressing them there and then. Nothing is forced, we work at a pace that feels manageable, but the session is structured so that progress can start immediately.

What people often find helpful

By the end of the first session, many people notice:

• A clearer picture of what has been keeping them stuck

• Relief at finally understanding their struggles in sharper focus

• A sense of hope that change is possible

• The beginnings of small but meaningful shifts in how they feel or respond

What people often gain

The first session isn’t about solving everything, but it often gives people:

• Insight – why past attempts to change haven’t worked

• Hope – that the problem can shift, because they’ve experienced therapy working differently

• Direction – a clearer idea of what needs to change and how therapy can support that

• Early shifts – many people start to notice small but real changes in how they feel or respond, even after just this first meeting

Continuing after the first session

If further therapy sessions feel right for you, we’ll continue with 90-minute sessions. This format gives us the depth and space to keep building on the progress from the very first meeting. Whether you’re looking for therapy in Nottingham or online across the UK and Europe, this structure gives you a clear way forward.

If you’d like to learn more about how sessions are structured and the different options available, take a look at the Services and Fees page.