I can understand your anxiety. In my opinion, you are over concerned. It would be just like talking to a friend ... first thing I would do is tell her 'Thank you for seeing me'. Good ice breaker .. except there really isn't any ice to break. She is a competent professional and has done this many times. You are there to inform her of your needs .. simple as that. She will set and manage the pace. Let her 'go first'. She can help you only to the extent that she knows the problem(s) and you are there to tell her what they are. Of course there is common courtesy protocol ... give her questions some good thought before answering, don't interrupt her ... simple things. Relax .. this is your opportunity to share the problem(s) and get the help you need. It's a good thing.

Typical first sessions go like this:

I don't know where to start.

I'm not sure what you need to know.

I don't know what I can tell you in a 1 hour session.

Of course you don't know these things ... first time. She has heard 'em before, ... so whatever it may be, don't worry about it. She has heard 'em all. All these statements are fine ... the ice is broken, and she will manage. Not a problem.

I can tell you that therapy is extremely helpful. You just have to find the right therapist. It's hard work. But your life will improve. So it's worth it. I have been in and out of therapy since college. I am sixty three now. There was long breaks when I wasn't in therapy. I am not in therapy now.

Be honest, as honest as you can be. Therapists are good, and they know a lot about denial, but cutting through our denial takes time. So the quicker you are open, the faster you can progress to problem solving.

But coupled with this, make sure that you are a good match with your therapist. They may have worked wonders for your friend, but if the chemistry is not there, you will not get the same results.

You can write things down. It can be notes to yourself of things you need to bring up. Or it can be a detailed written introduction to your issues that you simply hand to the therapist.

As far as expectations, get them out early. But be flexible. Therapists are not there to fix us, they are there to help us fix ourselves. They can suggest methods, they can help us confront our issues, but in the end we fix ourselves.

When seeing a therapist, it is most important to be honest about what you are feeling and about things that may have happened to you in the past. Therapy can be hard work, but, sharing with your therapist is the only way to understand why you feel the way you feel and they are trained to give you coping skills to handle your thoughts and feelings.. You have to allow yourself whatever time is needed. In other words, therapy doesn't have a time frame because everyone is different. I have been in and of therapy many times over the last 30 years. When I am having more difficulty handling my life and when the depression worsens, I go back into therapy for a while. I also take medication for anxiety and depression. You will only get the help you need by being honest and share everything with the therapy no matter how difficult it may be to talk about. As someone else recommended, be sure you connect with the therapist. Good luck.

I appreciate your input. I'm taking everything shared into consideration.