How Journalling Can Support your Counselling Journey

Have you ever left a counselling session feeling like you’ve made progress,and excited to try out new skills and perspectives, only to wake up the next day and forget what you were going to work on? It happens all the time! A great way to keep things fresh in your mind is by journalling about them. Journalling can prompt further self exploration and add value to your counselling session. 

Some ideas for prompts to use after a session:   

1. How did I feel before my session, and after I left? 

2. What is one moment of realization I had in session today? 

3. What is one good idea or good note that I want to remember?  

4. Is there anything that came up that I want to talk about more? 

You may also have the experience of having thoughts and realizations come to you between sessions that feel super important, but are perhaps hard to keep in mind as you wait for your next appointment. It can be helpful to avoid forgetting useful ideas by writing them down. 

Some ideas for prompts to use before a session:  

1. What came up for me this week that feels important to discuss? 

2. Is there anything I did differently this week than usual? How was it? 

3. How did it feel to try out the tools and strategies the counsellor suggested? 

4. What are some great things about the week so far? What are some hard things?  

Journalling can feel like an intimidating practice to start and maintain, but it doesn’t need to be hard or scary!

Some tips to getting started: 

Set a short timer for yourself (10-15 minutes) and only write for the time you set. 

2. Don’t start trying to do every day, but maybe at critical times like right after/right before sessions and add on as you wish. 

3. Reread your entries to see your progress and how things have changed! This can be very motivating. 

4. Tie your new habit into something you already do – if you take 15 minutes in the morning to have coffee and scroll on TikTok, try journaling for these 15 minutes some days instead! 

5. Have a journaling accountability buddy – try starting up with a friend and checking in with them about how it’s going. This can add some incentive.  

Would you try journalling as a way to maximize your growth between sessions? 

Want to Learn More? Here are Some Additional Resources for Information: 

It takes a lot of courage to reach out for support and OK Clinical recognizes how difficult it can be to reach out and take that first step. Our team is here to support you every step of the way. To be matched with a counsellor that is the best fit for your unique needs, you can fill out our Best Fit Form, email info@okclinical.com, or call or text us at 250-718-9291.  

You can also check out these references & resources:

• https://positivepsychology.com/writing-therapy/
• https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/in-therapy/201101/journaling-in-therapy

Written by: Sunny Qiu, Practicum Student

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