3 Things To Do Between Therapy Sessions – How to create Momentum!
Momentum has always been fascinating to me. Probably because there are times in my own life where I feel like I’m sitting on the sidelines, frustrated and disappointed – in myself and in others around me. But lately, more and more I’m able to work from a calm rest, certain of who I am and where I will choose to go from there, living from a place of loving kindness toward myself and others. In therapy, that’s the place I try to help my clients reach. What I’ve learned is that when they do certain things between sessions, it helps us create the inner momentum that includes rest, acceptance, celebration, and forward motion all wrapped in compassion and from a deep inner place of love. Sessions are geared to clients leaving with tools to carry with them until the next time we meet.
Therapy at Believe, Hope, Inspire Wellness Services LLC always ends with the question “What’s your takeaway today?” A take-away helps the client take a quick moment to consider what to do with what they discovered during session. I use a whiteboard to record the words they say and the therapy principles at work, to give clients a chance to visually catalog what they uncovered, and then take something with them to incorporate between sessions. Here’s a few ways that we generate momentum.
Attend sessions regularly – It’s helpful to book several sessions in a row for a couple of reasons. It creates accountability, helps you keep your commitment to yourself by arranging your schedule to include time for sessions, and creates opportunity for conversation with others about your goals to grow, heal, and increase your joy. Therapy provides a safe place to land and sort out what you are learning, explore resistance to moving from where you are stuck, and to be comforted in the struggle. It’s a place that’s all about you. And you deserve that.
Journal
It takes a minute for some of the principles we talk about in therapy to “operationalize” or show up in your daily life. Journaling takes a lot of jumbled up thoughts – both yours and what you heard in therapy – and puts them out in front of you where you can see them. Some people love the idea of journaling. Others cringe at the thought of writing about their feelings, but what most people discover is that it helps get stuff out of their head.
Journaling can be free-flowing – just filling a blank page – or it can be guided by using one of the many options out there. It’s the best feeling when clients come in and have taken concepts we talked about, written them out or explored them through journaling, and then used them to quiet racing thoughts or move through moments of depression! Journaling really is a journey.
Make a list of what to talk about next sessions – The clients who make the most progress make a list between sessions to capture situations to talk about on their next visit. It helps keep therapy goals in mind. It can be as simple as using your Notes app to create a “Therapy” note (some call it a “What to talk about with Dianne” note!) so you can jot down insights, challenges or successes.
These 3 ways to keep therapy in mind help you set yourself up for success. The momentum we work toward in therapy isn’t a push to climb some corporate ladder, make a certain amount of money, or gain others people’s approval. It’s a quest for quiet self-confidence that helps you respond to life in ways that are authentic and true to yourself. That’s what we do in therapy. I hope you try some of these tools to make the most from your therapy time.
Not working with someone at the moment? We can help. Call us at 850.450.7223 or make an appointment in our secure client portal here. https://believehopeinspire.securepatientarea.com/portal/#. Can’t wait to meet you!
P. Dianne Presley, LCSW
Owner/Founder
Believe, Hope, Inspire Wellness Services LLC
850.450.7223
https://www.believehopeinspire.com
A counseling center where new lives begin!
PS. Here’s a link to the journal I’ve landed on that helps me the most right now! https://drdianahill.com/book/ .