Getting the Most Out of Your Therapy Sessions: What Happens BETWEEN Appointments Matters
- Debra Anson
- 4 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Therapy is powerful—but the real magic doesn’t only happen in the therapy room.
Insight, healing, and change often unfold in the quiet moments between sessions: when you notice a pattern in real time, when a feeling catches you off guard, or when you pause long enough to reflect instead of react. Therapy works best when it becomes part of your everyday life, not just a once-a-week conversation.
So how do you get the most out of your therapy sessions?
1. Come in With Awareness, Not Perfection
You don’t need to have everything figured out before you walk into a session. But noticing what’s been coming up—emotionally, physically, relationally—can make your time together more focused and meaningful.
Simple reflections like:
What felt hard this week?
When did I feel most regulated or most overwhelmed?
What patterns am I starting to notice?
These observations give your therapist a clearer window into your lived experience and help sessions go deeper, faster.
2. Track Patterns, Not Just Problems
Growth isn’t always obvious in the moment. Many clients feel discouraged because they’re still struggling—without realizing how much has actually shifted.
Tracking moods, emotions, nervous system states, or coping responses over time can reveal subtle but important progress. You may notice that intense emotions pass more quickly, that your self-talk is gentler, or that you’re responding differently to old triggers.
When progress is visible, motivation and hope tend to grow.
3. Bridge the Gap Between Sessions
Healing doesn’t pause when your session ends. The work continues in daily choices, relationships, boundaries, and self-compassion practices.
Using reflection tools between sessions helps connect insight to real life—turning “aha moments” into lasting change. Journaling, for many people, becomes a grounding ritual that supports integration rather than rumination.
This is where having structure can be especially helpful.
4. Use Tools That Support (Not Overwhelm)
Many clients want to reflect between sessions but don’t know how or where to start. A supportive framework—rather than a blank page—can make reflection feel safer and more accessible.
That’s exactly why I created the Therapy Companion Journal: to walk alongside the healing and self-discovery journey, not replace the therapeutic relationship. It’s designed to gently support the work you’re already doing, with evidence-based tools like mood and feelings trackers, the Wellness Wheel, guided prompts, and intentional space to connect therapy sessions with everyday life.
For clients, it can deepen self-awareness and make progress visible.For therapists, it offers an organized way to track goals, support treatment planning, and simplify documentation.
Most importantly, it helps keep therapy alive between sessions.
5. Remember: Healing Is a Process
Therapy isn’t about fixing yourself—it’s about understanding yourself, building capacity, and creating sustainable change over time. Whether you’re just beginning therapy or have been doing the work for years, support outside the session can make the journey feel more grounded, intentional, and empowering.
Healing doesn’t just happen in the therapy room—it happens in the moments between sessions, too. 🤍And with the right tools, those moments can become some of the most meaningful ones of all.
Debi Anson LCSW CAADC
616-268-2787