We believe counselling is a life-changing way to support your mental health. That’s why we do what we do here at EI Growth! However, if you’re going to sessions every week, that’s one hour a week out of 168. So what can you do for the other 167 hours weekly when you’re not in the counselling session chair? There are many ways to support mental health between sessions, so you can take time to find what works best for you.
Why is it important to tend to your mental health between counselling sessions?
Counselling is enormously helpful, and it can be an excellent place to learn new skills and gain insight into your patterns and relationships. Using the time outside counselling is also essential to support your mental health.
The majority of your time is spent outside the counselling room. This is because part of the purpose of sessions is to find new ways to cope with what’s happening outside of the counselling room, and the time between sessions is perfect for practicing that.
Your work outside the counselling room can be as meaningful as the inside work. After all, in real life, you apply the lessons you’ve learned, use new coping skills, and respond in new ways. A goal of therapy is to help improve your day-to-day life, and
The time between appointments allows you to reflect on what you discussed and process what you need to. Sometimes, what we discuss in the counselling room can be pretty heavy. It’s normal for that to weigh on you after sessions, and it can take some time to process how you feel afterward.
So, what can you do between counselling sessions to support your mental health?
The options are endless. Ask yourself what makes you feel fulfilled and rejuvenated. What makes you feel cared for and safe? If you’re looking for some ideas, here are some suggestions to start with after your next counselling session:
Journal
Counselling involves processing a lot of thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Writing things down can be a helpful substitute when you don’t have a chance to process those out loud with a counsellor. Many people benefit from a regular journaling practice, especially in conjunction with counselling. Journal time gives you a chance, to be honest with yourself. You can learn more about your inner world and spot unhelpful patterns that no longer serve you.
A journal is also the perfect place to keep a list of what to discuss in your counselling sessions. It can take a lot of work to keep track of everything that comes up between sessions. Writing it down not only gives you a chance to remember to bring it up, but it can also help you start down the road to processing your feelings about what’s happening.
Practice what you talked about
The time between sessions is perfect for implementing some of what you discussed with your counsellor. For example, is there a coping strategy that you can practice? Is there a conversation that you can have with someone about something you discussed in counselling? If your counsellor has advice or insight for you, you can just reflect on what they said and take their advice if a situation comes up where you can. Even if you don’t take their advice, sometimes just knowing that you can do things differently is empowering.
Make time for self-care, including rest.
Remember, you don’t have to be constantly working on yourself. We’re all doing the best we can, for the most part. Don’t beat yourself up for making time to rest and recuperate between counselling sessions. As we said above, counselling can be intense. We work through a lot in the counselling room, and getting enough rest is essential to your mental and physical health. Rest is when your body and brain repair themselves. It’s also just lovely to give yourself a break. There are many ways to practice self-care, from making time for rest to filling your prescriptions before you run out. What makes you feel most supported when you’re struggling? See if you can provide that support for yourself.
Remember how far you’ve come.
It can be frustrating to feel like change isn’t happening as fast as we want it to. Mental health work can be slow going, so it’s important to remind yourself of the shifts you see, even if they seem small or insignificant. Did you handle something more effectively than you expected to? Did you have that hard conversation you’ve been dreading? Have you practiced enforcing a boundary? Even attending counselling is an accomplishment in itself- it’s hard to prioritize yourself week after week, especially when the work gets tough. But sticking with it is a huge deal! Remember to be proud of yourself for how far you’ve come since you started your counselling journey.
Are you looking for more ways to support your mental health between sessions? Mental health is multifaceted, and we can support you in a number of ways at EI Growth, from counselling services to caoching and referrals in the community. Get in touch today to get started.
Most importantly, if you feel that things are getting too unbearable for you, immediately you reach out to someone for help whether if that’s your counsellor, best friend, family member, 911, or a crisis hotline.
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