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Tips for conducting successful intake sessions

Be strategic and ensure you and your potential client have the information you need to start therapy on the right foot.

December 21, 2023 • Updated on June 10, 2026

By the Headway Editorial Team • Clinically reviewed by Natalia Tague, Ed.S., LPC, ACS

6 min read

By the Headway Editorial Team • Clinically reviewed by Natalia Tague, Ed.S., LPC, ACS

An intake session marks the beginning of treatment with a new client. This first appointment is an important part of determining whether you’re the right fit for someone, and if so, diagnosing them and beginning to craft a treatment plan. 

“The intake session helps you build rapport with someone and making sure you can connect in future sessions,” says Abby Gagerman, a Chicago-based Licensed Clinical Social Worker and founder of AEG Wellness. 

It’s also the first opportunity to start building a trusting relationship with your client, which is one of the most important factors in making sure therapy is successful. Studies have consistently found that a strong therapeutic alliance correlates with better treatment outcomes across various types of psychotherapies.

You can use your intake sessions to be strategic and ensure you and your potential client have the information you need to start therapy on the right foot. Below, learn more about how to conduct an efficient and effective intake session, according to a therapist in private practice.

Key insights

1

In an intake session, you’ll gather information about your new client’s symptoms, chief complaint, and biopsychosocial history so you can complete necessary documentation and create a treatment plan.

2

There’s a lot to cover in these sessions, so it helps to go in with an outline and get some steps (like filling out paperwork) completed beforehand.

3

Headway offers a range of resources — like intake templates and insurance benefits verification support — that take tasks off your plate so you can focus on your new client.

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Before your first session

After a potential client reaches out to you about therapy, you can start the process. Take a close look at your caseload and schedule so you know when (and how often) you can reasonably schedule appointments with the new client. Be prepared with a list of referrals, too, so you can recommend another clinician in case either of you decide it’s not best to move forward together. It may help to have your client fill out forms ahead of the appointment to save time, too.

You’ll probably want to complete insurance eligibility verification in advance as well. This process involves confirming that your client’s insurance plan is active and covers the services you plan to provide. For what sounds like a simple process, insurance verification can be surprisingly difficult — unless you work with a partner like Headway, which handles the logistics so you can focus on developing a rapport with your new client.

Next, think about how you want to structure the actual intake session. Gagerman says she has a go-to outline for intakes, which helps her make the most of time and make sure she covers everything she wants to address. Along with outlining the session, she comes up with a list of interview questions to get the client talking, which she says helps her land on a diagnosis and treatment plan (both of which are important for insurance billing).

During the first session

The therapeutic relationship begins as soon as your client arrives at the intake appointment. Before you dive into the client’s story, take time to go over the logistical components of therapy. If needed, explain the intake forms they filled out, what they mean, and how they affect the therapy process.The intake session can also be a great time to set expectations around attendance, cancellation and rescheduling policies, and communication — including your working hours and preferred modes of contact. Doing so early helps get ahead of issues that, if left unaddressed, could contribute to your new client discontinuing therapy in the future.

Once logistics are out of the way, introduce your approach to therapy and what a client can expect from working with you to help them mentally solidify whether you’re the right clinician for them. Make space for the client to ask you any lingering questions about you or what it’s like to work with you as a therapist. Then, spend some time getting to know your client and their needs.

“The goal is to get them talking about who they are, what they’re looking for, and what’s worked or not worked for them in the past,” says Gagerman. “This helps you know where to start in therapy.”

You can also invite the client to share their availability and to schedule their next appointment if they’re ready. Gagerman typically explains at this point that it usually takes three sessions for her to come up with a comprehensive treatment plan.

“I tell the client to give me three sessions, and if they think it’s not a good fit, I’ll refer them without being offended,” she says.

How to balance clinical assessment with building connections

In addition to all of the above, some therapists like to complete assessments, like the GAD-7 or PHQ-9, during their first appointment with a new client. That makes sense, as these assessments help define a client’s symptoms and future treatment plan. 

But clients may feel bombarded if you try to squeeze in intake forms, logistical discussions, and assessments right off the bat. During an intake session, check in regularly with your client to make sure they’re not getting overwhelmed. Give them the chance to ask questions, and clearly communicate about how your working relationship will evolve moving forward. (It won’t all be paperwork and clinical assessment!)

Intake interview questions

Being prepared with interview questions can help you get the most out of your session by better understanding your client’s history, symptoms, goals, and needs. Along with providing a framework for determining whether you’re the right therapist for someone, these questions can help shape your diagnosis and treatment plan.

If you’re seeing a client through their insurance plan, payers often have expectations for what is addressed with a client in the intake session. Make sure you’re familiar with the requirements of an intake note as you plan your intake assessment.

Possible intake interview questions to consider include:

  • Do you experience suicidal ideation or thoughts of self harm?
  • Do you have a history of substance abuse?
  • Do you have a history of trauma?
  • How do you cope with stress or mental illness symptoms?
  • Have you ever gone to therapy before?
  • Why do you want to start therapy?
  • What are you looking for in a therapist?
  • How will you know therapy was successful?

Some questions may have been covered in your intake paperwork. You can ask for more details as needed in the intake session, or focus on something else all together — whatever helps you meet insurance expectations while getting the clearest picture of who your client is and whether or how you can support them.

After the session

A successful intake session doesn’t necessarily end when the client leaves your office. You likely won’t need to reach back out to the client, unless you didn’t schedule upcoming appointments during the intake or you have any issues with their insurance coverage. 

Instead, you’ll need to take time to process the session and write your formal intake note. Use the documentation process as an opportunity to think through your client’s needs and how you can best help support their mental health goals. All of this will help guide future sessions, says Gagerman.

If you’re working with insurance, you’ll need to land on a diagnosis in order to bill. This may involve comparing the client’s history and symptoms against established diagnostic criteria, or talking to previous mental health clinicians or medical providers about the client. Your intake notes should document the symptoms that demonstrate the client meets the criteria for the diagnosis.

Generally, an intake note should include:

  • Session details (such as the patient’s name and DOB, your name, and the session date, location, and time) 
  • The patient’s chief complaint or history of present illness
  • A biopsychosocial evaluation of the client (including their social network, medical history, substance use, and so on)
  • A mental status exam and risk assessment
  • A symptom assessment and clinical plan

Then, based on your diagnosis and the client’s individual preferences and needs, you can come up with a treatment plan that makes sense.

“It can take some time to do this, but that’s why insurance usually pays therapists more for intake sessions,” says Gagerman. “You’re not just doing a longer session with an intake, you’re putting in more work after the session so you can figure out how to best support your client.”

Common intake challenges and how to handle them

The sheer breadth of information you’ll want to cover in an intake session is often the biggest challenge to handle. It’s hard to tackle interview questions, assessments, and logistical details, all while building rapport.

To mitigate this issue, try to do as much as you can before the session. You could ask clients to fill out paperwork or review office policies before they come in, for example. 

Remember, too, that you can’t — and shouldn’t — cover everything in your very first session. Keep notes about topics to revisit, but don’t feel like you have to learn everything about your client in an hour. Trying to do so may even be overwhelming to a client just starting therapy.

Outlining the session in advance, or using resources like Headway’s documentation templates, can streamline the appointment and ensure that you’re covering everything necessary to write a compliant note after the session.

Headway streamlines your practice to help you focus on your clients

Being a therapist can feel like juggling. To run your practice successfully, you have to keep a lot of balls in the air: patient care, administrative work, marketing, and more.


Let Headway be an extra set of hands. Our comprehensive suite of tools was purpose-built to serve therapists, so they can better serve their patients. We offer rapid credentialing services; an EHR that makes scheduling, messaging, and documentation a breeze; guaranteed bi-weekly payments and claims support; and so much more. With these tasks simplified, you can focus on your most important trick: helping clients.

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This content is for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute clinical, legal, financial, or professional advice. All decisions should be made at the discretion of the individual or organization, in consultation with qualified clinical, legal, or other appropriate professionals.

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