YOU CAN’T KEEP HIDING THE DARKNESS

You know you need help, you can’t hide how you feel anymore, and the darkness is closing in. You still wonder if you can make it another day. You show up and do your job, but you are racing through the day to get to your car so you can fall apart. You know you need help, but you’ve never asked for it. You don’t know how, and you don’t know where to start. You feel as if you’re alone and fighting a losing battle.

You are here, so you are asking the questions, and you wonder what to expect from therapy or counseling. Two factors make up the answer to that question: who you are and who your therapist or counselor is. No two therapists or counselors are the same, and no two therapy sessions are the same. You can expect some similarities, though.

WHAT HAPPENS IN YOUR FIRST SESSION

Your first counseling or therapy appointment will consist mostly of you telling your story. You haven’t been able to tell anyone how you feel. Maybe you’ve tried, but no one listens. You probably feel as if you can’t talk without falling apart, and you just don’t want to do that. This appointment is meant for you to be able to fall apart. You get to cry and describe the black fog and how much you have tried to find answers, but just can’t. You get to describe your exhaustion and how you feel as if you have been beating your head against a wall. You can tell your story if you want to.

Maybe you would rather hear from the provider. You have questions. Hopefully, most of your questions were answered in a free fifteen‑minute phone consultation. Click the link at the top of the page to schedule if you haven’t.

Maybe you have more questions. This is the time to ask them. This session will likely also include some evaluations or assessments of you. The Lion’s Lamb Family Therapy, LLC typically wants to help you relax and will employ a relaxation technique from Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) to help calm you. You can take this technique home and practice it to manage negative emotions. This will allow us to get the necessary history and make a plan for future sessions. Your first session will last about 50‑55 minutes and will consist of basic housekeeping explanations, listed below.

TOPICS DISCUSSED IN THE FIRST SESSION

How you found us – a marketing question that helps us know how we are doing in the community. We never compromise your privacy.
Crisis assessment – many people enter therapy in crisis. If you are on the brink of harming yourself or others, we will create a safety plan and may contact local emergency services. Numbers: 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), 911, or Mobile Crisis 865‑539‑2409.
Patient portal – you can log in, change appointments, and request changes up to 48 hours in advance.
Emergency & weather cancellations – we will text or email you via TherapyNotes if a cancellation occurs. Rarely will we cancel with less than 24 hours’ notice.
Cancellation policy – appointments cancelled less than 24 hours before the scheduled time incur the full $175 fee. Payment is due at the time of service.
Billing – a standard fifty‑minute session costs $175. Sessions longer than sixty minutes are prorated.
Good‑faith estimate – we provide an upfront estimate of charges so you know what to expect.
Insurance – we have contracts with several insurers and are working toward out‑of‑network billing. If you have out‑of‑network coverage, we can provide a completed claim for you to submit.
Miscellaneous fees – professional letters cost $25; court appearances are billed at double the hourly rate plus preparation and travel time. We do not complete FMLA paperwork or service‑animal letters.
Outcome‑tracking tool – we use My Outcomes at the start and end of each session to measure progress and ensure the therapeutic relationship is effective.

CONCLUSION

Your first session is packed with business, but the most important business is you. Therapists and counselors talk about being client‑centered; the recognized standard of care is that your needs and desires drive the session. Throughout your journey, there will be constant evaluation to ensure you are making progress. Your therapist or counselor will establish a treatment plan with your goals, and you will work together to accomplish them. Therapy and counseling are a collaborative effort between you and the provider, aimed at helping you grow past the debilitating life events that have created the heavy darkness driving you toward despair.

Both therapy and counseling are challenging. Pausing to look inside your own heart and motives to uncover the thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes that are causing you to drown in hopelessness is not easy. You can do it, though. You weren’t meant to figure life out alone. You weren’t meant to hurt alone, and you weren’t meant to carry hurt, anger, bitterness, and resentment for the rest of your life. Depending on your needs, therapy and counseling can open the door to hope and healing for you and those you love.

I am Vickie, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Maryville, TN (TN License Number 579). Verify my license here: https://www.tn.gov/health/health-program-areas/health-professional-boards/pcmft-board.html

I help people from Knoxville and the surrounding communities heal from their trauma and adverse life experiences. I can help you. Click the link at the top of the page so we can talk.

Your first therapy session at The Lion’s Lamb Family Therapy combines a safe space to share your story, a brief safety assessment, and an introduction to Accelerated Resolution Therapy—all designed to give you immediate relief and a clear roadmap for lasting healing.

DISCLAIMER
All clinical content on this website is written or reviewed by Vickie Starkey, LMFT, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist licensed in Tennessee since 2005.

CITATIONS

Miller, R. J., et al. (2022). Accelerated Resolution Therapy for PTSD: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 35(4), 456‑466. DOI:10.1002/jts.22789.

American Psychological Association. (2023). Evidence‑Based Treatments for Anxiety and Depression. APA Publishing.

Focus on the Family. (2023). Living in God’s Peace: Biblical Foundations for Inner Calm. https://www.focusonthefamily.com/peace‑in‑Christ

James 5:16 (ESV). “Confess your sins to each other and pray so that you may be healed.”