First Time Guide for Adults
Taking the step to seek support is a meaningful decision. Whether you are navigating life transitions, emotional stress, or getting a diagnosis, we will answer the top 10 questions to help during your visit to MINDAKAMI.
Individual Therapy / Counselling
Therapy (also known as counselling, psychotherapy, and talk therapy) provide a safe, confidential space to explore your emotional well-being, navigate life challenges, and build coping skills. It is a collaborative partnership where you and your mental health practitioner work together to identify your goals and understand underlying behavioural patterns, and develop practical tools for transforming your life.
Therapy is provided by trained mental health practitioners such as counsellor, clinical psychologist, psychiatrist and speech therapist.
You do not have to be diagnosed with a mental health condition to benefit from therapy. Any issues can bring uncertainty, stress, and emotional turmoil, and seeking support does not require a crisis. Therapy provides a safe, confidential space to explore a wide range of human experiences, navigate life challenges, and build practical coping skills at your own pace.
If you are considering therapy, here is the list of the topics and concerns commonly discussed during the session:
Emotional Well-being and Mood Concerns
- Understanding behavioural patterns and thinking process
- Managing depression and sadness
- Navigating anxiety and panic
- Learning how to manage intense emotions and anger management
- Overcoming loneliness
- Addressing issues like insomnia or sleep disturbance that cannot be explained by medically
Life Transitions, Stress, and Career
- Managing burnout and chronic stress due to career
- Discussing workplace stress and academic pressure
- Navigating major career transitions
Trauma, Grief, and Crisis Support
- Navigating the complex emotional changes following a breakup, separation, or divorce
- Processing painful memories and trauma
- Processing abuse in a safe, trauma-informed environment
- Finding support of losing a loved one
- Providing compassionate support for individuals dealing with suicidal ideation, self-harm, or severe emotional crises
Neurodiversity and Mental Health
- Receiving neurodivergent-affirming therapy for living with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Autism Spectrum Disorder,
- Manage conditions such as Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Seeking guidance for coping with substance abuse, alcoholism, or behavioral addictions such as pornography
- Coping with the psychological and emotional impact of chronic pain, cancer care, or dementia
Talking to supportive friends and family is incredibly valuable. Sometimes, you need help that those closest to you cannot provide.
Therapists are professionally trained to offer a neutral, objective perspective without the emotional biases or dynamics that often exist in personal relationships. They are equipped with the skills to help you get to the root of your challenges and guide you in making positive, lasting changes.
In fact, MINDAKAMI believes therapy and social support provided by friends, family and even strangers can help you in your wellbeing journey.
Practitioners at MINDAKAMI including our Registered Counsellors and Clinical Psychologists do not prescribe medication.
Medication can only be prescribed by a medical doctor, such as a psychiatrist or a general practitioner.
Therapy focuses on providing long-lasting benefits beyond symptom relief, giving you the tools to cope with life’s challenges. If your practitioner believes that medication might be a helpful addition to your support plan, they will discuss this with you transparently and provide a referral to a trusted medical professional for evaluation.
Your choice depends entirely on your specific needs and what you hope to achieve.
- Choose a Registered Counsellor if you are seeking support with daily struggles such as stress, relationship difficulties, coping skills, life transitions, or personal development. Counsellors provide practical strategies and emotional support through talk-based therapy
- Choose a Clinical Psychologist if you require a formal psychological assessment, diagnostic clarification, or therapy for complex mental health conditions. Clinical psychologists are trained to use structured assessment tools and deliver evidence-based psychological interventions.
If you are unsure, our free 30-minute Mental Health Screening can be helpful for you. Visit our Mental Health Service page for more information.
Going to therapy for the first time can make a lot of people nervous, and it is completely normal to feel that way. Here is a detailed look at what you can expect during your first individual session:
Setting Up and Informed Consent (5 – 10 minutes).
Before diving into your personal story, there will be some initial administrative steps to complete. During the beginning of the session, your practitioner will take the time to discuss the rules of confidentiality with you. This ensures you have a clear understanding of your privacy rights, the structure of the sessions, and the boundaries of your care.
Information Gathering (40-50 minutes).
The foundation of effective therapy is trust. Your practitioner’s main goal in the first session is to build rapport, ease your worries, and create a comfortable environment where you feel truly safe . Our practitioners are trained professionals who are there to listen to your experiences objectively and supportively, without any criticism or judgment. Your practitioner will want to get to know you and will likely ask what brought you to therapy at this particular time. They will explore your current daily patterns, the context of any major life events, and the coping strategies you have already tried.
Wrapping Up the First Session (5-10 minutes).
Toward the end of this first session, the focus will gently shift from gathering information to planning for your future. You and your practitioner will collaboratively outline what you hope to achieve, establishing clear and realistic goals that will give your ongoing therapy a sense of direction and a way to measure your progress . Your therapist will also take this time to explain how your future sessions will be structured, ensuring you know exactly what the process will look like moving forward. To help you get the most out of your therapeutic journey, your practitioner may suggest small, practical tasks to work on between your sessions. your practitioner will check in on how you are feeling.
It is also completely normal to experience a wide range of emotions as you finish your first visit. As the session concludes, your practitioner will check in on how you are feeling. While some people leave feeling an immediate sense of relief, you might also end the session feeling sad, angry, or emotionally exhausted after confronting things you may have been bottling up. Please be reassured that this is a natural, expected part of the healing process, and these feelings generally become much easier to navigate as time goes on.
Important Disclaimer
- You are in control: At times, your practitioner needs to understand the full picture of your mental health and background, where they may ask questions that feel very direct or intrusive. Please know that you are always in control of your boundaries. If your practitioner asks something that makes you uncomfortable, you can always stop them, tell them how you feel, and ask to pause the topic . You never have to share any details or memories before you are entirely ready to do so.
- It is okay not to have all the answers: You do not need to walk into your first session with a perfect script or a fully formed explanation of what is going wrong. In fact, it is perfectly okay to simply say:
- “I don’t know where to start.”
- “This is hard to talk about.”
It is incredibly common to feel a rush of emotions during therapy, and crying is a completely normal release. Therapy is designed to be a safe, non-judgmental space where you can express feelings you may have been bottling up. Discussing painful memories or deep frustrations might feel unpleasant or overwhelming.
If this happens, your practitioner will not judge you. Instead, they will gently guide you through the process and help you manage those strong emotions.
Normally, we do not encourage bringing someone into your individual session unless it is permitted and discussed thoroughly with your mental health practitioner beforehand.
There are many professional and ethical steps required in this matter to ensure your confidentiality and safety. This includes briefing your guest and having them sign a consent form, which will take up additional session minutes.
If they are not joining the session, your friend or family member is always welcome to sit comfortably outside in our waiting area.
While your first session focuses heavily on introductions, understanding your background, and gathering information, your subsequent sessions will shift toward deeper exploration and actionable growth, identify underlying patterns in your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours.
As therapy progresses, the focus turns to building practical coping skills, improving communication, and learning to manage conflicts or stress in healthier ways.
Because every individual and their journey is unique, there is no one-size-fits-all answer or fixed timeline for therapy.
The length of your support will depend on your specific goals, the complexity of your concerns, and how you progress over time. Some individuals may find the clarity and tools they need in a short-term period, such as 8 to 12 sessions .
Others find profound value in ongoing, long-term support lasting several months or even years as they navigate deeper life changes, complex mental health conditions, or ongoing stress.
We generally recommend scheduling sessions once every two weeks at the beginning . This provides you with enough time to process each session while maintaining consistent momentum.
Your practitioner will regularly review your progress with you and collaboratively adjust the frequency of sessions to ensure you are receiving the most appropriate and supportive level of care
Psychological Assessment & Diagnosis
The Psychological Assessment & Diagnosis is a structured, comprehensive evaluation conducted by a Clinical Psychologist to understand how your brain affects your thinking, memory, emotions, and behaviour. It goes deeper than a standard interview by using specialised tasks to clarify specific concerns such as attention, learning difficulties, or emotional functioning. It helps distinguish between conditions that may share overlapping symptoms (we called it comorbidity!) as well.
The purpose is not to judge you, but to provide a clear “road map” that identifies your strengths and challenges, guiding the most effective treatment and real-life support.
A rush process can lead to inaccurate results, and we have seen that too often.
There are approximately 300 different mental illnesses, disorders, and conditions, many of which share overlapping symptoms such as difficulty concentrating, mood changes, or memory challenges .
A single-session evaluation simply does not provide enough time to carefully differentiate between these complex conditions. By taking a structured approach over several sessions, our Clinical Psychologists can utilise gold-standard assessment tools to gather detailed data, observe behavioural patterns, and definitively rule out other conditions. This thorough approach ensures:
- relevant history are taken thoroughly
- diagnostic accuracy
- reduces the risk of misdiagnosis
- carefully rules out other conditions
- guarantees that any recommendations made are highly personalised and clinically appropriate
The short answer is no, you will not receive a formal assessment report if you only attend the initial Clinical Interview.
The 1.5-hour Clinical Interview is designed to serve as a vital screening process, not a complete diagnostic evaluation. During this time, the Clinical Psychologist gathers your personal and medical history, seeks to deeply understand your current concerns, and outlines the most appropriate next steps.
While the Clinical Psychologist can only provide the report after the completion of the assessment session, we can provide you with a referral letter after the interview if the Clinical Psychologist recommends that you consult a medical doctor or another specialist.
MINDAKAMI takes pride in our comprehensive and details assessment process. All psychological assessments begin with a 1.5-hour Clinical Interview, which serves as a vital screening process.
Session 1: Clinical Interview (90 minutes)
Considering there are approximately 300 mental illnesses, disorders, or conditions listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the Clinical Psychologist will use this time to gather relevant background information, understand your medical and personal history, and deeply understand your current situation.
At the end of this screening, the Clinical Psychologist will recommend the most appropriate next steps. Every client is different, therefore recommendations will vary accordingly. It may include:
- Assessment Sessions: If formal assessment is recommended, refer below.
- Therapy: Sometimes the issues you faced may require therapy before the assessment. The Clinical Psychologist will discuss its possibility thoroughly.
- Referral for a Medical Check-Up: Sometimes, we will provide a referral letter for a medical check-up (e.g., checking thyroid function) to rule out physical health issues and avoid misdiagnosis.
Session 2 onwards: Assessments (50-75 minutes per session)
If an assessment is recommended, you would need to go through several sessions of assessment. ADHD for example, usually takes around 3 to 4 sessions. During the session, you will complete structured or non-structed tasks in a calm environment.
Final session: Briefing / Feedback Session (45 minutes)
A dedicated feedback session will be held where the Clinical Psychologist will explain the findings ensuring that you fully understand the results, explore the recommendation and answering any questions you may have along the way. At the end of the process, you will receive a written report that summarises the findings and clarifies any applicable diagnoses.
While it is not compulsory to undergo a medical check-up before beginning your assessment, it is highly recommended.
Physical health and mental health are deeply interconnected, and certain medical conditions can mimic, mask, or worsen psychological symptoms. Before or during your assessment journey, it is very helpful to share your complete medical history.
We often recommend that clients undergo medical testing to check for underlying issues such as:
- Thyroid function irregularities,
- Vitamin B deficiencies
- Vitamin D deficiencies,
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS),
- Cardiovascular Diseases, among others.
Ruling out these physical health factors is a crucial step in avoiding a psychological misdiagnosis.
If you are unsure whether you need a medical check-up, the initial Clinical Interview is the perfect place to explore this.
Whether you need to bring a family member or loved one will depends entirely on the specific type of assessment being conducted. In some psychological evaluations, obtaining additional information or insights from someone who knows you well, such as a spouse, parent, or close family member can provide valuable context about your history and daily functioning.
However, this is never forced upon you. The Clinical Psychologist will thoroughly discuss this with you to determine if it is necessary and will only proceed with your explicit comfort and consent.
A comprehensive psychological assessment involves a deep and thorough evaluation of your cognitive, emotional, and behavioural functioning, where the full process typically takes between several sessions. To ensure that you do not experience assessment fatigue and have adequate time to process the experience, we generally recommend attending these sessions weekly or once every two weeks.
This steady pace allows for accurate testing while maintaining consistent momentum toward your final feedback session and report.
While a Clinical Psychologist can diagnose mental health conditions, they are not medical doctor (clinical ≠ medical) and therefore, unable to provide medication.
If your assessment results indicate that medication could be a beneficial part of your support plan, your Clinical Psychologist will discuss this with you and provide a referral to a psychiatrist or a medical doctor.
At the end of your assessment process, you will receive a report that serves as a personalised “road map” for your mental health.
We offer two types of reports depending on your specific needs:
The Brief Report (Free)
This 3-4 pages report is automatically included as part of your assessment. It is designed to be concise yet highly information including the next actionable steps. The Brief Report generally contains:
- Personal Information
- Reasons for Referrals
- Background Overview
Findings - Diagnosis
- Recommendations Overview
The Full Report (Optional)
If you require a highly detailed, comprehensive breakdown of your evaluation, you can request a Full Report. Because of the depth of analysis required, this report is optional and is typically completed up to three weeks after your final testing session. It usually ranges from 6 to 18 pages and provides a deep dive into your cognitive and emotional functioning. The Full Report generally contains:
- Personal Information
- Reasons for Referrals
- Summary of Diagnosis or Assessment
- Full Psychological Background
- History
- Mental Status Examination
- Details of the Assessment Used
- Findings
- Psychopathology Classification
- Diagnosis
- Recommendations
- Others (any additional relevant observations)
The short answer is yes.
Even though it is the shorter option, our Brief Report has received highly favourable responses from many hospitals and psychiatric clinics because it provides concise, yet in-depth and clinically accurate information.
To help you decide which report you might need, please refer to the information below.
The Brief Report is useful for:
- Gaining personal clarity.
- Seeking straightforward medical referrals (such as showing a psychiatrist for medication purposes).
- Providing a general summary to a therapist for ongoing therapy session.
The Full Report is useful for:
- An in-depth personal and professional understanding on your mental health concern.
- Legal purposes and insurance claims related to psychological care.
- Official and complex administrative needs, such as applying for formal educational accommodations (like university support or school accommodations).
- Applying for workplace accommodations, supporting disability claims.
- Another medical specialist requires a comprehensive, in-depth psychological history.
Ultimately, you do not have to figure this out on your own. The Clinical Psychologist will guide you on which report is the most appropriate for your specific situation.
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