Therapy Preparation and Reflection
Everyone approaches therapy differently. Some people don’t know what they want to talk about until they’re in the room. Others take notes throughout the week to ensure they don’t forget anything. There is no right or wrong way to prepare for therapy, as long as it works for you, then its correct. Below I have listed one way of getting organized for your therapy session.
Pre-session preparation
Before your therapy session grab a pen and paper or use your notes app on your phone. Create some bullet points for topics you would like to discuss. Also, day of check in with yourself to see how you’re feeling. Ask yourself, what is my intention for this session?
Post-session reflection
After your therapy session, take a moment to reflect and jot down your top three takeaways. Therapy can sometimes be emotionally challenging. Therefore, if you plan to discuss something that might trigger you, set yourself up for success by blocking off a few hours post-session to ground and relax. This could involve activities like walking in nature, exercising, taking a hot shower, or enjoying a relaxing bath. If possible, avoid diving straight back into work. Allow yourself the space to acknowledge and process your emotions rather than hastily suppressing them. Take time to consider where you feel stuck and whether you held back during the session, and if so, what might have prompted that hesitation.
Inter-session tasks
Regular therapy sessions typically foster growth and transformation. Yet, if you seek to accelerate personal growth beyond these sessions, engaging in various activities to enhance emotional regulation skills can serve as a catalyst. Change occurs both within and outside the therapeutic setting; thus, undertaking intersession tasks can reinforce this process and expedite progress towards your goals. Below, I've outlined several straightforward mindfulness activities for you to practice between sessions.
Mindfulness activity: Getting creative.
You can engage in this activity using coloring pencils, paper, paint, fabric, or any materials you have on hand. The objective is to produce something tangible while contemplating your emotional perspective.
If you were to visualize your emotions through shape, color, and texture, how would they manifest? Do negative emotions appear clearer than positive ones? Can you illustrate the fluctuation of your emotions not just through color but also through imagery? For instance, imagine a lighthouse symbolizing hope for a sailor adrift at sea. What serves as your beacon of hope?
Mindfulness activity: Ecotherapy
This activity is ideally performed outdoors. However, you can do this technique in any setting.
Kick off your shoes, sink your toes into the sand, or walk barefoot on the grass. Engage your five senses to explore your environment. What are five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste? The 54321 grounding technique is a mindfulness exercise that can help you manage anxiety, stress, and overwhelming emotions by focusing on the present moment using your five senses:
Evening Reflection: Focusing on acceptance and shifting from judgment to curiosity.
One of the ways I enjoy engaging in this activity is by jotting down brief thoughts or even a single word on a piece of paper. I then release these thoughts by burning the paper in my bonfire pit. This ritual symbolizes acknowledging thoughts that no longer serve us and letting go of them through the act of burning.
What internal messages do we often tell ourselves, and how do these messages hinder our authenticity? Once we recognize our default messaging, how can we actively challenge and reshape these thoughts?
