4 Therapist-Recommended Ways to Support Your Mental Health Between Therapy Sessions

Supporting your mental health between therapy sessions is an important part of the therapeutic process. While therapy offers guidance and support, growth often comes from how those insights are carried into everyday life.

You might leave a session feeling clearer or supported, only to find that a few days later, those feelings start to fade. Old thoughts return, emotions build up, or something difficult comes up, and you’re not sure how to handle it on your own. 

That doesn’t mean you’re going backward. It means the work continues outside the therapy room, and it often comes down to practicing a few consistent habits that help you support your mental health between therapy sessions, stay grounded, connected, and aware of what you’re experiencing. 

This might include journaling, practicing self-care, using grounding tools, and staying connected to support between sessions. Let’s take a closer look at what this can look like in practice. 

How to Support Your Mental Health Between Therapy Sessions

1. Use Journaling and Reflection to Stay Connected to Your Progress 

Dr. Helen Hayden-Wade has suggested that journaling can be a simple way to stay engaged with the work you’re doing in therapy. It gives you space to slow down, process your thoughts, and notice patterns that might otherwise go overlooked. 

You don’t need to write a lot. Even a few lines can help you: 

• reflect on insights from your session 

• track emotional patterns or triggers 

• recognize small shifts in how you respond 

There’s no right way to do it. Some people prefer structure, while others just write whatever comes up. What matters most is consistency, not format. 

If You’re Not Sure What to Write 

You can start with simple prompts like: 

• What did I take away from my last session? 

• What triggered a strong reaction this week? 

• What am I feeling right now? 

• Did I respond differently to something this week? 

• What’s one small win I want to remember? 

• Is there something I didn’t say in therapy that I want to explore next time? 

Why Journaling Helps 

Writing things down can make your thoughts feel clearer and more manageable. Over time, it can also help you see progress that might be easy to miss day to day. 

2. Stay Consistent with the Basics of Self-Care 

Dr. Debra Halliday emphasizes that taking care of your mental health starts with taking care of your basic needs. 

It might sound simple, but things like sleep, food, and movement play a major role in how you feel day to day. Without them, it’s much harder to regulate emotions, think clearly, or apply what you’re working on in therapy. 

Focus on What’s Realistic and Consistent 

Self-care doesn’t have to be elaborate or time-consuming. In most cases, it’s the small, everyday habits that make the biggest difference. 

That might look like: 

• getting enough sleep 

• eating healthy meals, especially during busy or stressful days 

• moving your body in a way that feels manageable, whether that’s yoga, Pilates, or even a short walk 

• creating space to disconnect from screens and wind down before bedtime 

Why Self-Care Matters in Therapy 

When your basic needs are met, it becomes easier to: 

• manage stress and strong emotions 

• stay present in difficult conversations 

• follow through on the tools you’re learning 

Without that foundation, even helpful strategies can feel harder to use. 

3. Use Grounding Techniques to Regulate in the Moment 

Grounding techniques are a core part of approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and are often recommended by clinicians to help manage stress and intense emotional responses in everyday life. 

These tools are designed to bring your attention back to the present moment, especially when your thoughts or emotions start to feel overwhelming. Rather than trying to eliminate what you’re feeling, grounding helps create enough stability so you can respond more intentionally. 

Some common examples include: 

Paced breathing

One grounding technique often recommended by Dr.Debra Halliday is paced breathing. Slowing your breath, such as inhaling for a count of four and exhaling for a count of six, can help regulate your nervous system and create a sense of safety in moments of stress. 

Sensory grounding (5-4-3-2-1 technique)

This involves identifying: 

• 5 things you can see 

• 4 things you can feel 

• 3 things you can hear 

• 2 things you can smell 

• 1 thing you can taste 

This exercise helps shift your focus away from racing thoughts and back into your immediate environment. 

Body-based awareness

Mindful observation

Kimberly Brownell often encourages a practice of noticing your thoughts and emotions without immediately reacting to them. This might look like pausing and acknowledging, “I’m feeling anxious right now,” rather than trying to push the feeling away or fix it right away. 

These techniques may feel simple, but with practice, they can become reliable tools you can use in moments of stress, between sessions, and in real-life situations where support isn’t immediately available. 

Why Grounding Techniques Help 

Grounding techniques work by helping regulate your nervous system and bringing your attention back to the present moment. When emotions feel overwhelming, it’s often because your mind is focused on what might happen or what has already happened. These tools help interrupt that cycle and create enough space to respond more calmly and intentionally. 

4. Stay Connected to Support Your Mental Health Between Sessions

Therapy is an important source of support, but it’s not meant to be the only one. Between sessions, staying connected to people you trust can help you feel more supported as you move through challenges that come up during the week. 

Reaching out may not always feel easy, especially if you’re used to handling things on your own. But support can take many forms. It might look like talking with a trusted friend, asking for help with everyday responsibilities, or simply spending time with someone who helps you feel more at ease. 

In addition to personal support, some people benefit from having a more structured space between sessions. Group therapy can provide an opportunity to build connection, practice communication, and feel supported alongside others navigating similar experiences. Our online therapy group for adults, offers a warm, supportive environment focused on self-understanding, emotional resilience, and meaningful connection. The group meets twice monthly and combines open discussion with practical skill-building. 

Key Takeaways 

• Progress in therapy continues outside of sessions, often in small, everyday moments. 

• It’s normal for feelings of clarity after a session to fade during the week.

• Simple tools like journaling, grounding techniques, and self-care can help you support your mental health between therapy sessions and stay connected to your progress.

• Supporting your basic needs, like sleep, movement, and connection, makes it easier to regulate emotions.

• Reaching out to others can reduce isolation and provide additional support between sessions. 

• You don’t have to do everything perfectly. Consistency matters more than intensity. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

How can I support my mental health between therapy sessions? 

You can support your mental health between therapy sessions by reflecting on your sessions, writing down thoughts or insights, practicing tools you’ve discussed, and noticing patterns that come up during the week. Even small moments of awareness can help reinforce progress.

What if I feel worse between sessions? 

This is more common than people expect. Therapy often brings up thoughts and emotions that take time to process. Feeling worse at times doesn’t mean something is wrong, it can be part of working through things more deeply. 

What if I forget what we talked about in session? 

That’s normal. Writing down key takeaways, keeping a running list, or briefly reflecting after your session can help you remember what felt important and bring it back next time.  

How often should I be using coping tools? 

There’s no fixed rule, but using them consistently, even when things feel manageable, can make them more effective when you need them most.  

What if I don’t feel like journaling or doing the work? 

That’s part of the process. You don’t need to do everything all the time. Even small efforts, like pausing to notice how you feel or using one tool, can still be helpful to support your mental health between therapy sessions.

When should I reach out for additional support? 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure how to manage something on your own, reaching out to a trusted person or your therapist at the Halliday Center to help you feel more supported.