The TL;DR on Intake Paperwork
You just want to get to your first session with the therapist you picked out and had your first call with. After sleepless nights and stressful days, you’ve crossed hurdles to get to the point where you can finally get the help you know you need.
And then a pile of intake paperwork shows up in your email.
Fine, you think. One more hurdle. But then the paperwork is long, and a lot of it feels quite personal. Is all this really necessary? Why can’t you just tell your therapist this stuff face to face during the meeting?
Many clients have told me they find the intake paperwork to be a major turn-off when it comes to starting therapy. So why do therapists keep asking for it? This article will talk through the important pieces of intake paperwork, what to read closely, and, yes, what you can leave to talk about when you finally get to your first session.
Astute readers of this fledging blog may note that there was no update last week. Due to the wildfires raging around the Pacific Northwest, my health was impacted, and I had to adapt and take some time to rest through the worst of it. Being chronically ill means you learn how to live with your body, not against it. Stick around next week when we will discuss what to expect from the first therapy session.
Your Rights As A Client
Many of the forms you’ll be asked to sign before starting therapy talk about your rights as a client. If you’re paying out of pocket for therapy, one of these will be your Good Faith Estimate, given in accordance with the No Surprises Act. This lets you know how much you can expect to pay for therapy. If you’re charged much more than the estimate, you have the right to contest the charge.
You’ll also receive information about how to deal with any grievances you may have with your therapist. If your therapist is a registered associate, also known as a professional counselor associate, you’ll get information for their supervisor. And no matter who your therapist is, you’ll get information about how to contact the Board if you ever need to report malpractice.
Practice Policies
Along with learning about your rights, you’ll learn more about what your therapist’s individual rules are. In the case of a larger agency, these will be policies that everyone at the agency follows. But even therapists who practice on their own will have policies. It’s important to know these, because this is where you’ll find out what happens if you have to cancel on your planned therapy sessions and other important pieces of information.
Questionnaires
There will often be one or even a few questionnaires that come along with your paperwork. Depending on what you said your main concerns were during your consult call, your therapist may want to collect some more information on how you’re being impacted by these concerns. This will help them know how best to help you and give you both a good sense of how much the problem is interfering with your daily life. As therapy progresses, this will also help you know how well therapy is working… but I get ahead of myself. We’ll be talking about how you know therapy is working in a few weeks!
The Intake Form
This is the longest form you’ll get in your intake paperwork. How long it is changes from therapist to therapist, with some being fairly light and others being, well, thorough. I have a lot of clients who either feel like they have to spend hours and hours filling out each form to its fullest, and still others who get 2 questions in and abandon the whole thing.
Basically, the intake paperwork is there to make the first session easier. Whatever information isn’t there that your therapist needs, they’ll need to ask you during that first meeting. And if your whole session is spent getting the fiddly details sorted out, like what medications you’re taking or what your family history of disorders is, that’s less time for you to really dive into starting therapy. That’s why I tell clients to prioritize those details on their intake paperwork. It’s way easier to put in the medication list when you’re at home and have your pill bottles right there, and you won’t want to hold up your care by not having that information when you’re in the therapy office.
Meanwhile, those open question text boxes that ask about more complex history are the ones to worry less about. It’s still a good idea to put something in them, but don’t worry about capturing all the detail in those parts of the form. Therapists know that a real human life is way too complicated for boxes like that. It’s good to write down the basics, but the complexities of your life is what the first session will be about anyway.
So, when it comes to the long intake forms, the most important parts are the factual details like history of diagnoses and med lists. When it comes to the bigger boxes, simple summaries are just fine. If you’re spending multiple hours on this, you’ve probably gone further than you really need to. Remember, it’s your therapist’s job to write down and organize information you tell them to give you the best care. You don’t have to have your whole life story neatly articulated in order to get started.
I specialize in helping folks with cPTSD navigate chronic illness and identity formation, and I use attachment theory and trauma-informed, person-centered care to do it. I can see anyone in Oregon over telehealth, and I’m planning opening an in-person space in Newberg for anyone in Yamhill county coming this September. Therapy with me involves coping skills to help you stabilize, and deeper work to help you get to the root of things.
A lot of my clients tell me they’ve gotten so good at being who everyone needs that they’re not sure anyone actually knows the real person behind the mask. I help people in those shoes build a life where you get to be fully yourself and still feel deeply connected to the people around you. If that sounds like you, let’s talk and see if we’re a good fit. I can’t wait to meet you!
No AI used ever in the making of this (or any other) post :)