People most commonly attend a weekly psychotherapy session with their psychologist, especially at the beginning of their treatment. It may seem impossible to dissect and reflect on everything that has happened between sessions, memories of past experiences and anything else that might come up - One hour of the 168 available in a week is a very small proportion of one’s time after all! We understand though that people want to make the absolute most out of their sessions, and in our experience there are some things you can do between sessions to make your treatment most effective and reap the benefits of your work together.

Written by Nadine Seif BSc, Assistant Psychologist, Sloane Court Clinic

A disclaimer before you read on: Not every single session is going to feel like a break-through and that is completely normal. Please do not put pressure on yourself to have a “eureka” moment every time you speak to your therapist. In fact, sometimes those moments happen outside of therapy, using the insight or skills gained throughout the therapeutic process.

Quite comfortingly, one of our Clinical Psychologists, Dr Yasmine Ashcroft says “I often tell clients that our sessions can feel like we are both in a boat together, rowing along. On the surface, this can look quite calm and placid, or as though there's not much happening. However, together our oars are churning up things underneath, which can take some time to come up. So, I would encourage being gently mindful of this, especially in-between sessions.”

Sometimes, not bringing the “right” things up in session allows for deeper feelings to come up and these can be particularly productive sessions. It is also possible you will leave a session feeling you “didn’t make the most of it”. This is okay and might especially be the case at the beginning when your main focus can often be trying to build the foundations of a trusting relationships, which is a huge achievement in and of itself.

Once this trust has been built up between you and your therapist these are a few recommended tips to consider between sessions to make your therapy most effective:

• Try to “get in the zone” before each session. In our fast-paced environments, it can be difficult to switch into the slower, more self-reflective mode which lends itself better to a therapy session. Giving yourself 10 minutes to try to switch off from the demands of your life outside of therapy, can allow you to really tune into your inner thoughts and feelings and allow you to be intentional about the things you raise and how you respond in session.
• Write down the things you may want to raise in session throughout the week, as and when they come up. People sometimes struggle to remember all the events and feelings they wanted to discuss when they start their session, so writing a list of brief prompts can relieve you of the burden of keeping everything in mind. It should also allow you to make sure you’re discussing the things you want to be each time and have an informal written record of previously raised topics.
• Don’t put pressure on yourself to be productive or “back in action” just after a therapy session. It is completely normal to feel slightly drained for the rest of the day after a therapy session, especially if you are bringing up particularly difficult emotions or memories. Going straight into a highly stimulating or highly demanding environment can be stressful in any circumstance but even more so if you are emotional exhausted or your thoughts are elsewhere. We would recommend trying to avoid places like very busy train stations, a hectic supermarket or going back to work right after therapy, if possible. If you do have to go straight back into a busy environment, using headphones to play familiar, comforting music can be a great support.
• Take a few minutes after each session to digest whatever you’ve discussed. A large volume of any new information requires some degree of processing time to fully internalise it. A good therapist will challenge you and any unhelpful thinking or behavioural patterns, often which you won’t have been aware of in the first place. Giving yourself some time to reflect and take it all in will allow for increased awareness of aspects discussed outside of sessions and into your everyday life, leading to the highest likelihood for positive change.
• Take a few minutes to write down anything your therapist says or tells you to implement after each session. Even after digesting and reflecting on the content of a session, people can sometimes forget whatever they learned. Having a written record allows you to refer back whenever you like and provides an opportunity to think about how to implement and new skills or ideas. This also extends to any “homework”, or exercises prescribed by your clinician. These can be extremely effective as they often allow you to practice skills and become more aware of potentially unhelpful thinking or behavioural patterns in your day-to-day life. This will allow you to both implement and practice positive changes in your life and also assess the effect of your efforts with your therapist.
• Be conscious through the rest of your week. Can you notice themes in your behaviour or emotional responses emerging? Can you identify things that perhaps would’ve triggered you before, but you have a lesser reaction to now? Are you able to better self-soothe, self-regulate or be more compassionate towards yourself? Having a more conscious approach to yourself will help you start to notice the changes and progress you’re making, and where – perhaps – you're finding aspects more of a struggle.
• Lastly, they are oft-written about aspects, but you mustn’t underestimate the importance of the basic aspects of a well-balanced life; enough sleep, time outside, a balanced diet, plenty of water, time with loved ones, and time spent doing some physical activity all will contribute hugely to your sense of well-being – it is not enough to solely treat the mind, we have to treat our bodies with compassion too.