Starting as a new counsellor

At what stage did you decide to enter private practice, and why? 

I decided to enter private practice after I graduated with my master’s in counselling psychology. As much as I truly enjoy working in a group practice (and I still currently do!), I chose to start building my practice on the side immediately. I knew that having my own practice would give me more creative control, market my services to the clientele that I am most competent to work with and give me the freedom to offer reduced rates to individuals.

Why did you decide to work with the First Session team? 

I chose to work with First Session for two reasons. I saw a First Session video of Sebastian Wingfield, one of my peers in my master’s program. Sebastian is a great person and a competent therapist, and I trusted his instincts to work with First Session. Secondly, as someone new to owning a business, I quickly learned how challenging marketing is when I opened my practice. The First Session team has done an outstanding job marketing my business and helping me gain new clients.  

Have you noticed a change in the performance of your private practice since partnering with First Session? Where was it before, and where is it now? 

Definitely. Before working with First Session, I would get a new client once every few weeks to a month. Since I partnered with First Session, I have consistently received multiple phone consultations and session bookings nearly every week. 

What has your experience been like working with the First Session team so far? 

My experience working with the First Session team has been very positive so far. I didn’t feel any pressure to join, and I have felt completely at ease from my first call with First Session, to the day my video was filmed, to all the email interactions that have gone on behind the scenes. The team is well organized, friendly, approachable, and well-informed. I also really appreciate how user-friendly their platform is and I value their efforts to keep all of their partners connected.  

How has your experience been working with the clients who are connecting with you via First Session? 

My experience working with clients who have been connecting with me via First Session has been fantastic! Again, the First Session platform is very user-friendly and I’ve had no issues connecting with clients who have reached out to me through the website.  

All the clients who have come my way have needs that relate to my areas of professional experience and competence. This was really important to me in terms of my professional ethics and my professional aspirations. 

I also appreciate that First Session allows potential clients to know a bit about me through my video and profile. I’ve had multiple clients tell me what aspects of my video drew them towards me, which has been encouraging and helpful.