8 Proven Tips to Sleep Better at Night (And Improve Your Mental Health)
Looking for some proven tips to sleep better at night? Our expert therapists reveal 8 proven ways to get more shut-eye. Discover how.
From problems with anxiety to depression to addiction problems, there are many reasons why you might make an appointment with a counselor. So, how long should you expect to wait before your first session? Depending on the counselor, your appointment might arrive in a matter of days. However, in some cases, patients wait a month to six weeks before they meet their therapist face to face.
What are you supposed to do if you find yourself waiting longer than you expected? Are there things you can do to prepare for your upcoming appointment? As a Licensed Professional Counselor, I can attest that yes, there are plenty of things you can be doing while you wait for your appointment. Want to know what they are? Today’s blog covers what to do while you wait for counseling to start.
An easy thing to do while waiting for your counseling appointment is to closely monitor your mental health status. Take note of how you’re feeling each day and write it down in a journal. Not only is this a great way to check in with yourself, but journaling can be used as a jumping-off point for future conversations with your therapist.
I recommend jotting down any information about the symptoms that you’re experiencing or the concerns that you’re bringing into therapy. Sharing data like this with your therapist ensures that you get the most out of your session.
Note: Plenty of my patients bring their journals to their appointments. Doing so ensures that we cover all the events of the previous week, month, etc.
If you find that your symptoms worsen to a point of crisis, you should seek emergency help immediately. This can include (but is not limited to):
If you experience any of the above, call an emergency number (911) or visit the nearest emergency room. If you are not at immediate risk of harming yourself (aka medical intervention is not needed right away), call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (988).
If you are struggling with feelings of loneliness, focus on spending time with other people during your wait for counseling to get started. I would recommend joining a club, volunteering at a local nonprofit, or doing things you enjoy with people you enjoy being around. Healthy relationships can help ease symptoms of trauma, so surrounding yourself with friends and family is a great thing to do leading up to your appointment.
Wondering what to do while you wait for counseling? Why not take the time to learn more about therapy and what to expect? If you don’t know where to start, I recommend scrolling through your therapist’s website and reading about their different treatment options. While it might seem trivial, understanding your therapist’s methods and treatments (cognitive behavioral therapy, talk therapy, etc.) will help to maximize your sessions. I’d also encourage you to check out their blog and read some of the articles they write to get a good feel for them.
Self-care doesn’t have to mean bubble baths and face masks and eating ice cream on the couch. (Or it could mean those things!) Regardless, you should be taking extra care of yourself while you’re waiting for therapy. Of course, self-care means different things to different people, so it’s important to figure out what it represents for you. Building good habits and routines is especially important for your mental health.
Drawing a blank? Here are some popular self-care practices you could try:
Before your first appointment, I encourage you to think about what it is you want to get out of therapy. Treatment is always more effective when both parties have an idea of what they want to accomplish. For that reason, you should share your goals with your counselor, and you can work on tracking your progress together.
If you have any questions about your symptoms, treatment, or therapist, now is a good time to write them down. Not only will such questions provide clarity regarding your treatment plan, but they will make sure your therapist is the right fit for you. Some examples of questions you might want to ask your therapist include:
Our bodies carry around our trauma. Therefore, taking care of your physical health can help calm your nervous system and ease your mind. Again, this process is going to look different for everybody, so I recommend doing something that feels right to you. This could be anything from eating healthy to getting a therapeutic massage to something else entirely. After all, stress can have a lot of effects on your body.
Wondering what to do while you wait for counseling? If your appointment is taking longer than expected, I hope that some of these strategies will help you pass the time. Of course, if your waiting time seems excessive and/or unbearable, it might be in your best interest to schedule an appointment with another counselor.
Fort Wellness Counseling is home to one of the top-rated therapists in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Providing patient-centered care, we’re able to treat symptoms of anxiety, depression, codependency, mental disorders, and more. We understand that every patient arrives at our door with a different journey, so we use an individualized approach to accomplish long-term change. After all, shouldn’t your therapy be catered towards your specific and individual needs? At Fort Wellness Counseling, we help you to become the best version of yourself and help you thrive.
Are you ready to learn the skills and techniques to overcome your burden? Our team of professionals is here to help. You can schedule a counseling appointment easily.
Looking for some proven tips to sleep better at night? Our expert therapists reveal 8 proven ways to get more shut-eye. Discover how.
Wondering how to have a healthy relationship with social media or how social media affects mental health? Check out our expert advice now.
What is the goal of psychotherapy? Our experts reveal the benefits of talk therapy in today’s blog post. (And why it works!)
Brainspotting therapy is an alternative technique used to release trauma. Here are brainspotting risks, benefits & brainspotting vs. EMDR.
Healing after an affair and affair recovery can seem impossible. An affair recovery therapist discusses tips for affair recovery. Learn more in this helpful blog article about affair recovery.
Regularly practicing gratitude is intrinsically linked to our mental well-being. This blog post covers the top 12 benefits of gratitude.
Have you caught the winter blues? This blog post explains what seasonal depression is, its symptoms, and how to avoid it.
How can you keep a relationship strong and healthy? This blog post shares 10 strategies to maintain a healthy and happy relationship.
This how-to guide covers the 10 best ways to calm yourself down when you’re overwhelmed, angry, or anxious. Discover which ones work for you!
Setting boundaries with your family members lays the framework for healthy relationships. Learn how to set boundaries between family members by reading this helpful blog article.
Learn the 7 symptoms of a quarter-life crisis — and how to overcome it. Learn more about the quarter-life crisis in this informative article. Discover now.
These 6 warning signs are easy to recognize and not to be ignored. If you suspect that you or someone else has an alcohol problem, act now.
Learn how to deal with anxiety and stress using healthy coping skills. Here are different techniques you can use to help calm your anxiety and manage stress.
A great way to improve your mental health is by journaling. If you are not sure where to start, these self-care journaling prompts can help. Learn more.
You may have to wait before you get started with counseling. Discover steps you can take while you wait for therapy in this helpful article. Learn more.
Discover what postpartum depression is and how you can use different therapy strategies and resource options to live a healthy, happy life and overcome it.
Are you feeling stressed out? Overwhelmed? Increasingly anxious? If so, you aren’t alone. Learn how stress impacts your body in this article.
A panic attack can be overpowering. Knowing what to do can help you regain control. This article looks at 9 ways to stop a panic attack. Learn how.
It’s essential to watch your mental health when working from home. Discover how working from home impacts your mental health and learn mental health tips.
8 Signs You’re Addicted to Porn. How do you know if your porn use is problematic? In this article we reveal how you can find out. Learn more.
Do I need therapy? Therapy is a common treatment for mental health and everyday hardships. 8 Signs It’s Time to Consider Therapy. Learn more.
Learn what you can do to help support someone depressed and how to help. Learn 8 tips for how to show support from a licensed counselor.
Before stress takes a toll on your health, learn how you can keep it under control and manage it with 15 stress management coping skills.
Do you want to learn useful strategies for getting through difficult times? Click here to learn more about how to cope during tough times.
FOMO, the fear of missing out, is a societal problem that is getting worse. Click here to learn more about FOMO and 8 tips to cope with it.
Check out the blog to learn about Christian counseling and mental health therapy. Learn more about Christian counseling in Fort Worth.
Learn some helpful strategies from a Fort Worth based relationship therapist and marriage counselor. Couples therapy is a common strategy to work through relationship issues.
Attend therapy in Fort Worth with counselors and therapists to build positive habits and improve your routine. Learn more.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most common models used by the best therapists in counseling. We provide therapy in Fort Worth.
Want to know how therapists can help with anxiety in counseling? Learn more about how counselors can treat anxiety in therapy.
Want to learn more about alcohol treatment and outpatient options for alcohol in Fort Worth? We provide outpatient treatment for alcohol.
Depression treatment in Fort Worth. Gratitude can help with depression. In this article, the therapist discusses the power of gratitude.
The Continuum of Addiction and When to Reach Out For Help Rane Wallace, MS, LPC, LCDC, SAP Many people have a difficult time truly understanding
Learn more about depression by reading this informative article. We discuss things to know about depression. Talk therapy can help depression.
Attend therapy if you are struggling and want to feel better. If you are looking for some support and need a counselor to help guide you.
Find therapists by narrowing your choices down. Find one close to where you live and work. Ask therapists questions during a free consult.
Read What To Expect At Your First Therapy Session At Fort Wellness Counseling, Pt 3 at FortWellness.com and learn how to prepare for your first treatment, the session itself and what to do after your first session.
Read The Benefits of Attending Therapy with a Counselor and Therapist, Pt 2 at FortWellness.com and learn about the improved emotional well-being you can expect.
Read What is Counseling, Mental Health Therapy, Psychotherapy and Talk Therapy? Pt 1 at FortWellness.com as we unpack what therapy is and the misconceptions about therapy.