Nervous About Calling a Therapy Clinic? You’re Not Alone – Here’s What to Expect (and What to Say)

Making that first call to a therapy clinic can feel surprisingly difficult.

You might have the phone number sitting in front of you, but still find yourself staring at it without pressing call. You may wonder what you're supposed to say, whether someone will ask you a lot of personal questions, or whether your concerns are "serious enough" to justify reaching out.

You might even pick up the phone and hang up before anyone answers.

If that sounds familiar, you are not doing anything wrong.

Research on mental health help-seeking shows that deciding to reach out can involve much more than simply recognizing that you could use some support. People may worry about stigma, being judged, cost, whether therapy will actually help, or what will happen once they make contact (Martinez et al., 2020; Sweetman et al., 2021). More recent research also suggests that help-seeking is a process rather than a single decision. People often move through several steps, from recognizing that something is difficult to deciding whether and how to seek professional support (Campbell et al., 2026).

So if making that first call feels uncomfortable, you're certainly not the only person who has felt that way.

At Authentic Living London, we want that first contact to feel as simple and welcoming as possible.

---

You Don't Have to Know Exactly What You Need

One of the biggest misconceptions about starting therapy is that you need to know what kind of therapy you need before you call.

You don't.

You might know exactly what brings you to therapy. Perhaps you're struggling with grief after a loss, anxiety that has become difficult to manage, relationship problems, trauma, depression, or a major life transition.

Or you might simply know that you're not feeling like yourself anymore and need some help figuring out why.

That's enough.

When you contact a therapy clinic, you don't need to provide your entire history or explain everything that has happened to you. The first conversation is generally about understanding what brings you to therapy and helping determine what kind of support might be appropriate.

What Happens When You Call Authentic Living London?

Every clinic has its own process, but when you contact Authentic Living London, our goal is to make the conversation straightforward.

A member of our team will answer when possible. If we're unable to answer immediately, it may be because we're with another client, and you can leave a voicemail for us to return.

When we speak with you, we'll ask a few questions to help us understand what you're looking for. You might be asked whether you're interested in in-person or virtual therapy, what is bringing you to counselling, and whether there is a particular type of support you're looking for.

You can keep your answer very simple.

You could say, "I'm struggling with anxiety," or "I'm dealing with grief," or "I'm having some problems in my relationship."

You don't need to tell us the entire story during that first conversation.

The purpose is to help us understand enough to begin thinking about which therapist might be a good fit for your needs, preferences, and availability.

What If You Don't Know What to Say?

This is probably one of the most common worries people have.

The good news is that you don't need a perfect explanation.

You can simply say:

"Hi, my name is ____. I've been thinking about starting therapy, but I'm not really sure how the process works. Could you help me figure out where to begin?"

That's enough.

You could also say:

"I've been having a difficult time lately and I think I'd like to talk to someone."

Or:

"I'm interested in starting therapy, but I'm not sure which therapist would be the right fit for me."

Or even:

"I'm nervous about making this call and I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to say."

You are allowed to say that you're nervous.

In fact, telling us that may make the conversation easier because we can meet you where you are rather than expecting you to arrive with everything figured out.

Book Today

What If You Cry?

This happens.

Talking about something painful can bring emotions to the surface, and you don't need to apologize if that happens while you're on the phone.

You might cry. You might become emotional. You might lose your train of thought. You might realize that saying something out loud makes it feel much more real.

None of those things mean you've handled the call badly.

If you're nervous, you can even write down a few words before calling. "Grief," "anxiety," "relationship problems," or "I don't feel like myself" can be enough to get the conversation started.

What If Your Problems Aren't "Bad Enough"?

People sometimes wait until they are in significant distress before reaching out for therapy because they believe someone else has problems that are more serious.

Therapy isn't reserved only for emergencies.

You might seek counselling because you're struggling with something that has been bothering you for months, because a relationship is changing, because you're going through a major transition, or because you want to understand yourself better.

There is no objective threshold of suffering that you have to reach before you're "allowed" to ask for help.

At the same time, therapy isn't necessarily the right service for every situation. A conversation with a qualified therapist can help determine whether counselling is an appropriate form of support and whether the clinic can meet your needs.

What If You've Had a Bad Experience With Therapy Before?

This is another important reason people may hesitate to try again.

Perhaps you felt misunderstood by a previous therapist. Maybe you didn't feel comfortable opening up, or you didn't feel that the therapist understood what you needed. You may have gone through several sessions and wondered whether therapy was actually helping.

Those experiences can make starting again understandably difficult.

Finding a therapist is partly about finding a person with whom you can work comfortably. Research consistently identifies the therapeutic alliance, meaning the collaborative relationship between therapist and client, as an important part of engagement and treatment outcomes (Bourke et al., 2021; Howard et al., 2022).

That doesn't mean you need to feel an immediate connection with a therapist or that every session will feel comfortable. Therapy can involve difficult conversations.

It does mean that your experience of the relationship matters.

You are allowed to ask questions. You are allowed to notice whether you feel heard and respected. And if a therapist isn't the right fit, it is okay to discuss that and consider other options.

What Happens After the First Call?

If you decide that you would like to proceed, we'll help you with the next steps.

This may include matching you with a therapist based on your concerns, preferences, availability, and the types of support you are looking for. You'll receive the necessary intake information, and you'll schedule your first appointment.

The first therapy session is not an examination.

You don't have to arrive with a perfectly organized explanation of your life. Your therapist will generally want to understand what brought you in, what you've been experiencing, what you hope might change, and what you would like therapy to look like.

From there, you and your therapist can begin figuring out what approach makes sense for you.

You Are Still in Control

Making an appointment does not mean that you have committed to months or years of therapy.

The first session is also an opportunity for you to decide whether the therapist feels like a good fit.

You can ask questions about their approach. You can tell them if something doesn't feel comfortable. You can say that you're not ready to talk about something yet.

Good therapy is collaborative. The therapist brings professional training and experience, but you bring knowledge of your own life and what you are experiencing. The two need to work together.

That sense of collaboration is one reason the therapeutic relationship matters so much in psychotherapy (Bourke et al., 2021).

You Don't Have to Make the Call Perfectly

Sometimes the hardest part is simply pressing the button.

You don't have to sound confident. You don't have to know exactly what you need. You don't have to have your story organized into neat paragraphs.

You can simply start with, "I'm having a hard time and I think I could use some help."

That is enough.

At Authentic Living London, we understand that reaching out for therapy can feel vulnerable. Our goal is to make that first conversation comfortable, respectful, and straightforward, whether you're calling for yourself or asking about therapy for someone you love.

We provide counselling for a range of concerns, including grief, anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship difficulties, personality disorders, and other life challenges. We offer in-person appointments in London, Ontario, as well as virtual counselling across Ontario.

Gabrielle Ferguson RP, BA, MACP is the founder of Authentic Living London and provides virtual psychotherapy to individuals 18 and over. She also provides keynote speaking and workshops on grief.

References

Bourke, E., Barker, C., & Fornells-Ambrojo, M. (2021). Systematic review and meta-analysis of therapeutic alliance, engagement, and outcome in psychological therapies for psychosis. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 94(3), 822–853. https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.12330

Campbell, C., et al. (2026). Interventions to improve mental health help-seeking attitudes, intentions and behaviors: A systematic review of recent advances. International Journal of Mental Health Systems.

Howard, R., Berry, K., & Haddock, G. (2022). Therapeutic alliance in psychological therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 29(2), 373–399. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2642

Martinez, A. B., Co, M., Lau, J., & Brown, J. S. L. (2020). Filipino help-seeking for mental health problems and associated barriers and facilitators: A systematic review. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 55(11), 1397–1413. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-020-01937-2

Sweetman, J., Knapp, P., Varley, D., Woodhouse, R., McMillan, D., & Coventry, P. (2021). Barriers to attending initial psychological therapy service appointments for common mental health problems: A mixed-methods systematic review. Journal of Affective Disorders, 284, 44–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.01.089