Are you also planning to start your first session with your therapist? Do you also feel anxious and do not know what to talk about?

What to expect from the first session?

Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, there will be times during your first session when you will feel like you have "run out" of things to say. Psychologists too agree that it is not uncommon for people to come to the session and be unsure on what they want to discuss. This happens because opening up is tough and may not come as easily, especially when you are just getting to know your therapist.

While some therapists give you an assessment to help them understand you better, others might let you lead the conversation.

However, if you are unsure on what to say in your first session, here are some things and ideas you can ponder upon:

Start with 'small' issues

It may seem like you need to start off strong and with things like "deep" and "serious" issues. However, it is okay to start with small things that bothers you at work, or at home. These small things can lead to bigger things, rather than starting with a big incident of your life.

Journal, if you must

It is always a great idea to track your thoughts, patterns and behaviors by keeping a journal. It helps you see and reflect on how things have triggered your thoughts and changed your mood.

Present feelings

Try to focus on how you feel in the present. When you are in therapy, instead of thinking hard about what happened during the week, try to ponder upon what made you book the session today. Did something happen today? Or did something happened at work?

Are you thinking about something again and again?

Depression and anxiety both involve rumination. It is a tendency that leads one to think about the same thing over and over again. Usually, it happens when you have a hard time falling asleep one night and that you mind would not stop thinking about it. If something similar is happening to you, it is best that you talk about this to your therapist too.

Relationships

If you are having trouble with your partner, or how one communicates, it is important you share this with your therapist. However, relationships always do not mean your love life. This could be about anything, it could be about you and your parents, your kids, your siblings, and even about your pets. If you have lost someone close and this has affected your mood significantly, you can also talk about that. If you felt betrayed by a close friend, you can also talk to your therapist about it.

Past Traumas

If there is a traumatic incident that to this date impacts how you think or talk, it is important that you bring it up with your therapist. It may seem difficult to talk about it the first thing in the first session. However, it is okay to do that, because your thoughts are kept confidential, and it is important that you remember that.

New challenges

Everyone likes their comfort zones, and no body wants to go to a new place, try new things, and come across new challenges, etc. However, it is part and parcels of our lives to come across new things. It can be difficult to navigate and this is where talking to your therapist about it can help.

Winter vomiting disease cases are rising. This is highly contagious and is spreading rapidly across the United States. We are talking about norovirus. This contagious stomach flu has led to health officials raising warning for people to take extra precautions. In fact, experts say that the number of people affected could be higher, all thanks to holiday gathering season.

What makes Norovirus unique is that this virus is particularly hard to kill and many do not even realize that they are spreading it, unless it is too late.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has noted that the cases of norovirus has spiked ever since the Thanksgiving holiday. they have also noted that this particularly hard to kill virus is also known as the "winter vomiting disease".

For now cases of this winter vomiting disease have been reported from Illinois, the Midwest, and Southern California. The California Department of Public Health has also noted a rise in cases in Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay areas.

The contagious virus affects the gastrointestinal system, causes vomiting, stomach pain, and diarrhea that could last several days. The symptoms usually take 12 to 48 hours to appear after the exposure.

New Strain Of The Unique Norovirus In 2025

There has been an emergence of a new strain GII.17. This could lead to an increase of 50% more infections than this year, said the CDC. Medical experts have urged the public to stay alert and practice goof hygiene.

As per the DuPage Country Health Department's social medica awareness post, "cases of norovirus are continuing to increase". "Norovirus is very contagious, and anyone can get infected and sick," the health department wrote on Facebook.

How To Avoid Getting Sick From Winter Vomiting Disease?

Dr Suman Radhakrishna, Director of Infectious Disease at Dignity Health Medical Center, tells KTLA, "It [the virus] can stay on doorknobs and food and it’s pretty hearty. When someone ingests it or touches it and then places their hand on their mouth, they can get the virus. You don’t need a lot of the virus to get infected.”

“Whether you have the virus or not, sing the Happy Birthday [song] twice when you’re washing with soap and water, especially before you eat,” Radhakrishna advised. “Other times, the hand sanitizer works, but it doesn’t work very well for norovirus, unfortunately.”

Other practices to follow is to avoid touching your face with dirty hands, or avoid touching food or items that could have been handled or touched by other people. Disinfect any surface, which could have been contaminated.

If you already have it, the doctor suggests to seek care in the emergency room and keep drinking enough fluids. "Or let’s say, if you were lying down and when you try to sit up, you feel dizzy because you are so dehydrated, these are times when you should call your doctor, go to the emergency room or go to urgent care,” said Dr Radhakrishna.

Symptoms Of Norovirus

• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Stomach pain
• Fever
• Headache
• Body aches

Melanie Sykes has shared an encouraging health update, revealing that she is experiencing what she describes as “Post-Traumatic Growth.” On Friday, the former television presenter, 55, spoke openly on Instagram about feeling “vibrating high” after what she called moving through deep trauma. Her comments come amid an ongoing struggle with an autoimmune condition that has caused widespread inflammation and left her almost two-thirds bald.

Melanie Sykes Reveals She’s Living With ‘Post-Traumatic Growth’

In her message, Sykes reflected on how difficult periods do not last forever and introduced the idea of post-traumatic growth to her followers. She explained that it is possible to live with PTSD while also experiencing growth at the same time. “I’m in both camps,” she said, adding that people can hold pain and progress together, as long as they take care of themselves, allow space for grief, process what has happened, and then move forward in ways that bring happiness and meaning.

What Is ‘Post-Traumatic Growth’

Post-Traumatic Growth, often referred to as PTG, describes the positive psychological change that can emerge after someone has faced severe stress or trauma. Rather than simply managing or surviving the experience, people may find new depth in how they see life, feel stronger connections with others, discover fresh possibilities, or undergo spiritual or existential shifts. According to the National Institute of Health, PTG is not about bouncing back to how life was before. Instead, it reflects a deeper transformation that can take a person beyond their pre-trauma sense of self.

How Is Post Traumatic Growth Different From PTSD?

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is marked by ongoing distress following trauma, including intrusive thoughts, avoidance, heightened alertness, and emotional suffering. PTG, on the other hand, refers to the positive psychological changes that can arise after working through trauma, such as greater appreciation for life, stronger relationships, personal strength, and shifts in belief or purpose. As noted by the National Institute of Health, the key difference lies in the outcome. PTSD is considered a mental health disorder, while PTG is a process of meaning-making and growth. Importantly, the two can exist together, with some individuals experiencing distress and growth at the same time.

At its core, PTSD reflects the painful impact of trauma, while post-traumatic growth represents the possibility of positive change that can develop through the long and often difficult path of healing, sometimes alongside or after living with PTSD.

What Condition Is Melanie Sykes Going Through?

Melanie lives with an autoimmune condition, a disorder in which the body’s immune system, meant to protect against infections, wrongly targets its own healthy cells, tissues, and organs. This immune response leads to inflammation and ongoing damage. Common autoimmune diseases include lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and type 1 diabetes. Although there is no cure, treatment usually focuses on controlling symptoms such as fatigue, pain, and swelling and helping people manage the condition in daily life.

Just hours after GRAP-3 restrictions were implemented, authorities tightened pollution controls in Delhi and surrounding areas on Saturday evening by moving to GRAP-4.

Earlier in the afternoon, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM)—the central agency responsible for monitoring and managing pollution in Delhi and neighbouring states—had imposed GRAP-3 curbs as the Air Quality Index (AQI) surpassed 400, entering the ‘Severe’ category.

By evening, the CAQM reported that the AQI, which was 431 at 4 pm, continued to rise and reached 441 by 6 pm. Under the GRAP system, air quality is divided into four levels: Poor (AQI 201–300), Very Poor (AQI 301–400), Severe (AQI 401–450), and Severe Plus (AQI above 450).

The CAQM stated, “Considering the current air quality trend and to prevent further deterioration in the region, the Sub-Committee on GRAP has decided to implement all measures under Stage IV of the existing GRAP – ‘Severe+’ Air Quality (Delhi AQI > 450) – with immediate effect across the entire NCR. These measures are in addition to the actions already in place under Stages I, II, and III.”

The commission added that the primary reason for the worsening AQI was the weak Western Disturbance moving toward north-west India, rather than local emissions.

GRAP 4 In Delhi: Schools Shift to Hybrid Classes

While schools in Delhi remain open, classes for several grades have moved to a hybrid format, combining both in-person and online learning. The Delhi Directorate of Education (DDE) issued a circular directing all government, aided, and private schools under DOE, NDMC, MCD, and Delhi Cantonment Board to adopt hybrid classes for students up to Class IX and XI wherever online teaching is feasible.

The circular, dated December 13, states: “All Heads of Schools…are directed to conduct classes in schools for children up to Class IX and XI in a ‘Hybrid Mode’ i.e., both physical and online mode (wherever online mode is feasible) with immediate effect until further orders.”

GRAP 4 In Delhi: Are Delhi Schools Open Today?

Yes, all schools under the Delhi Directorate of Education remain open. Students up to Class IX and Class XI can attend classes either physically or online, depending on what they or their parents choose. The hybrid arrangement will continue until further notice. The directive also applies to schools managed by NDMC, MCD, and Delhi Cantonment Board. School authorities have been asked to promptly inform parents and guardians about the arrangements.

GRAP 4 Activated as Pollution Worsens

The move comes after the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) declared Stage 4 of GRAP with immediate effect, as Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) surged into the ‘severe’ category. At 6 am on Sunday, the AQI in the city stood at 462, according to the Central Pollution Control Board’s Sameer app.

GRAP 4 In Delhi: Restrictions Under Stage 4

Stage 4 maintains all measures from Stage 3 and introduces stricter curbs to limit pollution. Among the new restrictions is a total ban on truck traffic entering Delhi, except for vehicles carrying essential goods or providing critical services. Trucks powered by LNG, CNG, electricity, and BS-VI diesel are exempt from the ban.