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For those who wonder how therapeutic writing can help, especially if you’re not a writer but want to integrate what you’ve learned more rapidly in therapy sessions, this blog is for you.
I recently started asking my clients to take notes of our sessions and share them at our next meeting. I like this idea for two reasons: 1) It creates continuity for our sessions. 2) If there are any gaps between my notes and theirs, it provides us with rich material to discuss.
Therapeutic journaling is the process of writing down our thoughts and feelings from our personal experiences and then reading them back as if you are a reporter telling a story. Okay, maybe you’re not that detached from your internal landscape, but you will gain a bit of perspective on the material. Therapeutic journaling differs from traditional diary writing in that diary writing typically recalls details of the day’s events, whereas therapeutic journaling is an internal process meant to explore the full range of emotions, reactions, and perceptions we have related to difficult or traumatic events.
How Therapeutic Journaling Works
Emotional expression has been found to be good for our health! When an upsetting event occurs, we are often not able to fully process what happened, and the event and the emotions surrounding it get stuck in our memory. Expressive writing allows us an opportunity to construct a personally meaningful narrative (and sometimes in this narrative we can move from the victim to the victor). The writing brings clarity and enables us to place our experience into the context of our larger place in the world.
The Benefits of Having a Therapeutic Journal
Besides the fact that you will be your therapist’s favorite client…(kidding, sort of), there are several benefits of having a therapeutic journal. Here are just a few:
- It provides a place where you can store the most important nuggets from sessions.
- If you take time to focus and write down your intentions beforehand, it helps you stay focused.
- It helps you track your progress, lessons, and insights over time.
- It provides you with a treasure trove of gentle reminders, insights, and wisdom learned that you can come back to—a comfort book.
- It can help integrate sessions when we do deeper work like in Hypnotherapy and Internal Family Systems.
- It provides an “external brain” to help you process in between sessions.
What to Add to the “Emotional Processing” Section
Using a journal for emotional processing has been shown to improve mental and physical well-being. It’s also a great way to process emotions for those who are unwilling or unable to engage in psychotherapy.
This section can be used for:
- Brain dumps
- Mind maps
- A place where you can write from the part that’s struggling…maybe start with “Dear Young One…”
- A place where the young part can write back to you…
- Something to refer back to in your sessions, so that you remember how you felt or what happened recently.
- A space to gain clarity so that you can arrive at the session knowing exactly where you want to go.
What to Add to the “Key Insights” Section
This is the section where you want to write down the most important things to remember long-term. It’s important to separate it out from the “emotional processing” section so that the wisdom doesn’t get lost in a sea of words. Of course, you have to find a method that works for you. The method that works for you is the one you’ll use over and over again.
This section can be used for:
- Key takeaways from your session
- Big “AH HA” moments you’ve had
- Tools you’ve learned that you want to use going forward
- Long-held beliefs and/or “stories” that have been challenged
- Parts you have, what you’ve learned about them, and how they have changed
- Themes that were uncovered during Hypnotherapy
- New stories and/or beliefs that need to be reinforced
- Promises you’ve made to yourself or intentions you’ve set within the sessions
Therapeutic Journaling and Beyond
Sometimes we just feel lost, overwhelmed, lacking confidence, and just need a pick-me-up. I do this quite often. I look back at my journal from one year ago, three months ago, one week ago to see how past me has changed. And sometimes I’m reminded of how far I still need to go—both are okay!
Begin Therapy at Life Cycles Counseling in Richmond, VA
You don’t have to face big emotions alone. Our counselors in Richmond, VA are equipped with innovative techniques like internal family systems, guided imagery, hypnotherapy, brainspotting, and storytelling, providing a safe space for your healing. Your past can be transformed, your memories reconsolidated, and your future informed.
I take the scenic route when treating big emotions like anger, resentment, and grief because there’s less opportunity for shame to enter the room.
To get started at Life Cycles Counseling, follow these simple steps:
- Contact Life Cycles Counseling
- Learn about our creative and effective ways for rapid healing
- Sign up for a transformational workshop or writing group!
- Start healing, growing, and gaining confidence in a healthy way!
About Me
Dr. Adina Silvestri is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Internal Family Systems Therapist, Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, and Certified Brainspotter in Richmond, Virginia.
She loves using storytelling and metaphor, among other techniques, to help clients become aware that the feelings need to fit the facts and sometimes the facts are just wrong!
And she just plain loves being a Therapist.
