What happens at a first psychiatry appointment?

A conversation. Forty-five to sixty minutes on what brought you in, your history, your sleep, your medical background, and what you actually want to change. You'll fill out a short symptom scale, PHQ-9 or GAD-7, so there's a baseline number to beat.

You leave with a plan: sometimes a prescription, sometimes therapy, sometimes both, always a follow-up. No couch, no inkblots, nothing decided over your head. Bring a list of any medications you've tried before; it saves twenty minutes of guessing. The logistics are all in What to Expect.