Journaling Prompts for Starting Therapy
Starting therapy is a significant decision, and it often comes with a mix of hope, anxiety, and uncertainty about where to even begin. You might not know how to talk about what's happening, or you might worry about whether what you're bringing is serious enough to take up the space. It is. Whatever brought you to the door is enough. Writing before or alongside therapy can help you clarify what you're actually carrying—put language to things that have been living below words—so that when you're in the room with someone, you have a place to start.
Journaling Prompts
What made you decide to start therapy now? Was there a specific event, a gradual accumulation, something someone said, or a quiet internal recognition? Write about what tipped it.
What do you most hope therapy will give you? And underneath that—what are you most afraid it won't?
What feels hardest to say out loud to another person? Write it here. Naming it on paper is a first step toward naming it in the room.
What do you want your life to look and feel like on the other side of this work? Describe it specifically—not vaguely 'better,' but what 'better' actually looks like in your daily experience.
What are you afraid the therapist will think of you? What are you afraid they'll find? Is there something you're worried about bringing that you need to bring anyway?