What happens at the first appointment?

[waterfall]

with your first psychiatric assessment what happens? what do they do?

 

[David Baxter PhD]

The psychiatrist or psychologist will typically ask you

• what issues or symptoms concern you
• how long these have been present and when they started
• questions about your medical history, illnesses, head injuries, surgeries, etc.
• about your family history and whether there is any history of anxiety, depression, perfectionism, or othger mental health issues in your extended family
• etc.

The goal in the first session is to identify the issues to be addressed in treatment, possibly to construct a provisional diagnosis, and to create an initial treatment plan.