What happens in the first conversation?

First contact & finding words

In short

What this page is about

A calm explanation of what a first conversation at a doctor, counseling center, or psychotherapeutic consultation hour can look like.

This may fit if

you are looking into this topic: What happens in the first conversation?

If you do just one thing

Briefly say what is hard right now.

You may start incompletely

A first conversation is not about appearing perfectly prepared. You may pause, think, cry, be silent, or say that you do not know where to begin.

Common questions

Often it is about how long things have been hard, what daily life is affected, whether you sleep, whether you are safe, and what support you already have. You do not have to tell your whole story at once.

What can happen afterwards

Depending on the place, it may be about further appointments, counseling, sick leave, psychotherapeutic consultation (A first assessment appointment in a psychotherapeutic practice in Germany. It does not automatically mean a therapy place is available.), therapy search, social counseling, or urgent help.

You may ask questions

You may ask: "What is the next step?", "What should I do if I cannot get an appointment?", or "Can you explain that more simply?"

Sources and notes

• Gesundheitsinformation.de / IQWiG: mental health problems – where to get help
• Gesundheitsinformation.de / IQWiG: who helps with depression
• 116117: psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic consultation
• Federal Ministry of Health: psychotherapeutic consultation
• Wege zur Psychotherapie: information from German psychotherapist chambers

If you only wanted information

This guide may fit as a next step: When the first attempt to get help did not help

If you want to try first contact

Use the sentence helper or copy one short sentence. First contact does not have to be perfect.

If it has become urgent

Then reading more is not the priority. Open urgent help or call 112 in Germany if there is immediate danger.