Your first steps
What to Expect in Counseling
Starting counseling often feels unfamiliar. A clear process helps you arrive with fewer questions and more room to focus on what brought you here.
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01 · Before the first session
Reaching out is a short, simple message
Contact the practice with basic information about the kind of counseling you are seeking and how you prefer to receive a reply. Availability, fees, payment methods, and scheduling can be confirmed at that time.
A general website form is not the place for detailed medical history. Share only what is needed to begin the scheduling conversation — and ask any practical questions before deciding.
- No detailed history required upfront
- Ask about fit before scheduling
- Couples: ask who should attend first
02 · The first conversation
You do not have to tell the whole story at once
An initial session focuses on understanding. Dr. Weld will want to hear about current concerns as well as relevant history, strengths, supports, and goals — what prompted you to seek counseling now, what you have already tried, and what improvement would look like.
Couples can expect both partners to have a voice. Individual clients can expect the pace to respect their comfort and readiness. If a question feels difficult, you can say so.
- Both partners have a voice
- Pace that respects your readiness
- Questions about the process encouraged
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03 · Goals and progress
Deciding together on the next step
Counseling is not a passive service performed on a client. Dr. Weld brings training, perspective, and tools; you bring lived experience, choices, and practice. Progress can look like a couple interrupting a familiar loop, or a person noticing a thought before accepting it as fact.
Change is not always linear. A difficult week does not mean counseling has failed. Regular review of goals helps determine what is changing and whether the approach needs adjustment.
- Goals reviewed and revised together
- Referrals discussed when appropriate
- Faith included at your discretion