Q: What is intake?
A: Intake is the assessment phase that starts therapy: consent forms and history questionnaires before the visit, then a first session (billed as CPT 90791) focused on what's going on, your background, safety, and goals — ending with the therapist's read and a proposed plan. It's structured differently from regular sessions because it has a different job: mapping, not yet treating.
Worked example: some therapists price intake higher — e.g., $220 intake, then $180 sessions — because it runs longer with documentation. Others keep one flat fee. It's on the paperwork; read the fee line.
Do this: prepare exactly one sentence ("I've been anxious for months and it's affecting work") and let their questions do the rest. What the whole first session looks like, minute by minute →
Source: AMA CPT code set (90791); TherapyCalifornia decision guides, August 2026.