TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR THERAPY, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING SUGGESTIONS.

1. When you schedule your first few sessions, do so at a time that allows you to ease back into routine after your appointment. Plan for slow activity and low noise for at least an hour afterward. If you can, go for a walk, take a nap, sip a cup of tea, or quietly journal and process your session/emotions. Avoid tough conversations and situations for a bit.

2. Get quality sleep. I highly recommend a hot bath with Epsom salt before bed. Lack of deep (REM) sleep strongly affects mood and alertness. Try for a screen-free sleeping environment, or use a meditation app to help you get to sleep. Ask a health professional about supplements that assist in falling and staying asleep if this is a struggle.

3. Get exercise. Research has shown that twenty to thirty minutes a day of brisk walking with stretching/yoga is an optimal routine. Exercise reduces depression and anxiety and activates healing! I recommend videos from With God Wellness to use at home.

4. Love your body with a good diet and proper vitamins and supplements. Drink plenty of water. Every cell, organ, and tissue in your body needs water to function correctly. Use a measured water bottle with the goal of one quart per 60 pounds of weight. Your fluid intake is adequate if you rarely feel thirsty and your urine is colorless or light yellow.

5. Discover what your body is telling you about your emotional state! If you like to read, I recommend The Body Keeps the Score, Feelings Buried Alive Never Die, Anatomy of the Soul, and The Soul of Shame. Search for a body scan online. I have used this Compassionate Body Scan

6. Get your blood work done and check your vitamin levels. Two-thirds of Americans are vitamin D deficient. Low vitamin B can cause low energy. Some symptoms are as much related to hormones and body chemistry as they are to the events and traumas that caused their onset.

7. Pray/Meditate. There is abundant research demonstrating the great value of meditation and prayer. If you are unsure how to do this, use my prayer cards in my office. WildAtHeart.org is a place to find scripted prayers for special situations.

8. Practice gratitude. Keep a journal near your bed and write down three good things that happened that day before falling asleep. How often do you feel thankful for the good things in your life? Let positive emotions bubble up to help cope with stress and improve mental and physical health.

9. Consider the role of Forgiveness! Forgiveness is more than just a word or action. It is something that affects us mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. It helps us heal in ways we are only just beginning to understand.

10. Exercise your brain to improve your cognitive function and mood. Learn something new or put together a puzzle. Use an online program available at PositScience.com or Luminosity.com. Decrease unnecessary screen usage. Better yet, take a 72-hour fast from non-work/school-related screen usage to reset your natural dopamine levels

11. Write! Pick a topic and write an autobiography of that topic. Handwriting is ideal! But type if you need to. Examples: Personal data, school history, work history, current family life, spiritual journey, places you have visited in your lifetime, your relationship and experiences with God, significant relationships, challenges you have overcome, substance use, abuse history, personal strengths, meaningful friendships, life story past and present, your future life story- what will be different -how will you be different?