Why Is the First Therapy Session Longer Than the Ones After It?

The first therapy session runs longer because it covers extra ground: intake paperwork, your background, and the practical setup for future visits. At Change.Life, the first video session lasts about 60 minutes, and regular sessions run about 45 minutes. The American Psychological Association says a typical psychotherapy session lasts 45 to 50 minutes.

What extra work happens in a first therapy session?

A first session carries tasks that later sessions skip. The American Psychological Association’s page on understanding psychotherapy says a psychologist may ask a new patient to arrive early to fill out paperwork, and that fees, scheduling, cancellations, and confidentiality are typically covered early, by phone or in person. The page also says that once a psychologist has a full history, the two of you work together on a treatment plan, a process that may take more than one session. The same page, last updated December 12, 2023, puts a typical psychotherapy session at 45 to 50 minutes. Those tasks sit on top of the conversation itself, which is why a first visit can run past the typical session length. Change.Life lengthens the first appointment for a similar reason, as the next section explains.

How does Change.Life use the extra 15 minutes?

At Change.Life, the first video session runs about 60 minutes because it includes intake paperwork and copay setup. Mariann Arcari Rubin, LCSW, spends most of the hour listening while you describe what brought you in, in your own words and at your own pace. The last few minutes go to housekeeping, including any remaining intake forms and a copay setup through a secure card payment app. Building that housekeeping into the first hour keeps it from cutting into time to talk. The extra time works out to about 15 minutes over a regular 45-minute session. Clients learn what paperwork to expect after the consultation call, so the longer hour holds no surprises. That call is covered in What Happens During a Free 15-Minute Therapy Consultation?

Does everything get settled in the first session?

The first session begins a process that continues over later visits. The American Psychological Association says “Most people have more than a single session of psychotherapy,” and that building a full history and treatment plan “may take more than one session.” At Change.Life, the first hour ends with a shared decision: you tell Mariann how the session felt, and the two of you decide whether to schedule the next one. The National Alliance on Mental Illness adds that for a first visit, “It’s reasonable to ask questions,” and the longer hour leaves room for them. The shared decision at the end matters at Change.Life because the practice is built around one therapist. The person who handled the consultation call also leads the first session and every session after it, so the first hour begins a relationship with someone who already knows why you called.

What does this page not cover?

This page explains why the first session at Change.Life is longer. It does not describe how other practices schedule first appointments, and lengths vary by practice and by insurance plan. It does not cover billing codes or what a given plan pays. It gives no guidance on what to say in a first session or what a treatment plan should contain. The American Psychological Association figures describe psychologists, and Change.Life is led by a licensed clinical social worker. Nothing here predicts how many sessions anyone will need or promises any result. A reader’s own insurance plan sets its own rules. The full guide, What Does Online Therapy With One Therapist Actually Look Like, From First Call to Ongoing Sessions?, follows each step after the consultation call.

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