Writing a Journal: how it can help support your experience of therapy
Many clients ask if there are any practical things that they can do, alongside coming to counselling, to support their self development. I often recommend the practice of keeping a self-reflective journal: all you need is a notebook and pen (or computer), and - like counselling - it offers a completely private and personal space to explore your thoughts and feelings.
Here are just some of the benefits that journal writing can have, including being a means of continuing the self-reflective work of therapy:
Getting your thoughts out of your head and onto paper
Therapy can sometimes feel overwhelming, as you start to explore thoughts, feelings, and emotionally heavy experiences for the first time. This can leave your mind feeling a bit ‘full’ after or between sessions. Ideas and realisations might well come to you during the week between your counselling appointments. Putting pen to paper and writing down what’s on your mind can feel very therapeutic in that it helps you ‘dump’ your worries, thoughts and questions onto paper, leaving your mind more clear.This can sometimes be of help to clients who are experiencing anxiety, stress, or who have trouble sleeping due to ruminating over worrisome thoughts. You can then physically put the journal away: symbolising the process of attending to and then putting your thoughts aside.
Self-reflection: checking-in with how and what you are feeling after a session
This can be a really important piece of compassionate self-care, especially if you have spoken about something upsetting with your counsellor. Taking the time to notice your feelings, in a non-judgemental way, (mindfulness) helps us to become more self-aware, less reactive, learn how to regulate our emotional state, and be even more emotionally resilient in future setbacks. Some prompts to help you tune in with and identify your emotional state might be:
- “How do I feel after that session?” Angry? Tired? Sad? Energized?
- “Do I feel different than I did before the session / at the start?”
- “What was it like for me to talk about my experience of X today?”
- “Do I have any felt sense of emotion in my body?” E.g. a tight chest, anxious tummy, or a sense of lightness?
- Is there anything that I would like to explore further in my next session?
Reflect on the content and process of the session
A lot of ground can be covered in a 50-minute counselling session. Sometimes, we may begin speaking about one thing, and finish up talking about something totally different. Sometimes, we don’t have time to address or explore everything that we might want to in a session, or we might briefly mention something that you want to explore further in your own time.
A journal can be a place for clients to dig a little deeper into something that interested them or made them curious in a session, or perhaps reminded them of a memory or experience that they want to reflect on before deciding to bring it to a session. It also offers you the space to write down any specific things that caught your attention, or expanded your awareness during your session.
Giving structure to your therapy process
Establishing a habit of writing in your journal at the same time each day (even just for 10 minutes) can serve as a kind of anchor to ground you across the emotional highs and lows of the therapy process. It can also be a way to write down and remember the breakthroughs and “aha” moments that have made the biggest impact on you in your work.
In fact, a lot of the work in therapy takes place between sessions: remember, you are the expert on yourself. A personal journal is a great place to explore, experiment, and reflect on your experiences and the new things you are learning about yourself.
Which leads to the final point…Read it back in the future, and see how far you’ve come
It can be helpful to think of a self-reflective journal as being like a road map of self-discovery, best understood backwards. Sometimes, it’s only when we get to a certain point in our self-development work that we see how the ‘dots’ connect, and we can appreciate the changes that have taken place. Just as the therapeutic relationship between counsellor and client grows over time in sessions, your relationship with yourself can also unfold over time as you make a practice of writing self-reflectively, and self-compassionately in your journal.
In months, or even years to come, after clients have finished working with their counsellor, it can be a great source of comfort and encouragement to dip back into your journal from that time in your life: as a reminder of how far you have come, of your continued capability to care for yourself, and your increased resilience to face new challenges in your life.
References:
Linder, Jason N. (March 11 2021). 4 Ways Mindfulness Traits and Practices Build Resilience. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/mindfulness-insights/202103/4-ways-mindfulness-traits-and-practices-build-resilience
