--- title: "How to Get More Time With Your Therapist | Growth & Guidance Counseling" description: "Simple ways to make every therapy session count — before, during, and between appointments." lang: en json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "WebSite", "name": "Growth & Guidance Counseling", "alternateName": "Growth & Guidance Counseling, LLC", "url": "https://growthguidancecounselingservices.com/" }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "BlogPosting", "headline": "How to Get More Time With Your Therapist", "description": "Simple ways to make every therapy session count — before, during, and between appointments.", "datePublished": "2024-10-08", "dateModified": "2024-10-08", "author": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Growth & Guidance Counseling" }, "publisher": { "@type": "MedicalClinic", "name": "Growth & Guidance Counseling" }, "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://growthguidancecounselingservices.com/how-to-get-more-time-with-your-therapist/" }, "url": "https://growthguidancecounselingservices.com/how-to-get-more-time-with-your-therapist/" }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://growthguidancecounselingservices.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Informational Blog", "item": "https://growthguidancecounselingservices.com/blog/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "How to Get More Time With Your Therapist", "item": "https://growthguidancecounselingservices.com/how-to-get-more-time-with-your-therapist/" } ] } ] } ] --- [Skip to content](#main) [(888) 464-6177](tel:+18884646177) - [](https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063627036414 "Facebook") - [](https://www.instagram.com/growthguidancecounseling/ "Instagram") - [](https://www.twitter.com/growthguidance "X (Twitter)") - [](https://www.tiktok.com/@growthandguidance "TikTok") - [](https://www.youtube.com/@GrowthguidancecounselingTV "YouTube") [![Growth & Guidance Counseling](/__l5e/assets-v1/a7f9bddf-11a8-4d71-acf1-d0ff012f22e2/gg-logo.webp)](/) [About](/about-us) [About Us](/about-us)[Mission & Vision](/mission-vision)[The Collective](/our-team)[Reviews](/reviews)[Join Our Team](/join-our-team)[FAQs](/frequently-asked-questions)[Contact](/contact-us) [Services](/our-services) [Individual Counseling](/service/individual-counseling)[Behavioral Health / Coaching](/service/behavioral-health)[Couples Counseling](/service/couple-counseling)[Family Counseling](/service/family-counseling)[Group Counseling](/service/group-counseling)[Telehealth / Online Counseling](/service/telehealth-online-counseling)[Life Coaching](/service/life-coaching) [All services →](/our-services) [Specialties](/specialties) [Anxiety Therapy](/specialties/anxiety-therapy)[Depression Therapy](/specialties/depression-therapy)[Trauma & PTSD](/specialties/trauma-ptsd-therapy)[Grief & Loss](/specialties/grief-loss-counseling)[Teens & Adolescents](/specialties/teen-adolescent-therapy)[Women's Mental Health](/specialties/womens-mental-health)[Spanish-Speaking Therapy](/specialties/spanish-speaking-therapy)[Child Therapy](/specialties/child-therapy) [View all specialties →](/specialties) [Locations](/illinois-location) [Illinois — Oak Lawn](/illinois-location)[Georgia — Marietta](/georgia-location)[Florida — Telehealth](/florida-location) [Rates & Insurance](/rates)[Blog](/blog) [CLIENT PORTAL](https://www.therapyportal.com/p/growthguidance1/login/)[Book a Consult](/book) [← Back to Blog](/blog) # How to Get More Time With Your Therapist Growth & Guidance Counseling October 8, 20245 min read Therapy time is precious — usually a single hour a week to work on things that have been building for years. A little preparation, before and after the session, helps you get much more out of it. ## Come with a focus (but stay flexible) Walking in with even one sentence about what you'd like to talk about saves the first ten minutes of trying to remember why you're there. Something as simple as "I want to talk about the argument I had on Tuesday" is enough of a focus. Stay flexible, though. Sometimes what you thought you needed to talk about opens the door to what you actually needed to talk about. ## Keep a between-session note Real life happens between sessions, and by the time you sit down again, half of it is gone. A note on your phone titled with your next session date — where you jot moments, triggers, wins, questions as they come up — turns your week into material you can actually work with. It doesn't need to be long. A line is enough. ## Be honest about what's working If something your therapist suggested didn't land, say so. If an approach isn't clicking, say so. Therapists can't adjust what they don't know isn't working — and being honest about the fit is one of the most useful things you can do in the room. That includes the good stuff. "That reframe from last week actually helped" is real data. ## Do the small homework If your therapist suggests a small practice — a breathing exercise, a boundary to try, a thought to notice — give it a real shot before the next session. Not perfectly. Just honestly. The next session is a lot richer when you can talk about how it actually went than when you're both starting from scratch again. ## Use the time between sessions The hour in the room is not the therapy. It's the planning meeting. The therapy is what you do the other 167 hours a week — the choice you make in the moment, the boundary you hold, the breath you take before you react. Practice the skills, not just the hour. ## Ask about session length and frequency If a standard weekly hour isn't giving you enough runway, it is okay to ask about options — longer sessions, more frequent sessions during a hard stretch, or spacing further apart once things stabilize. The right cadence is the one that supports what you're working on. It is a conversation, not a fixed rule. Looking for the right fit? Book a free 10-min consult and let's talk about what would help most. [Book a free 10-min consult](https://calendly.com/growthguidancecounseling/free-consultation)[Back to Blog](/blog) ![Growth & Guidance Counseling logo](/__l5e/assets-v1/35271702-3c7d-4122-a155-f087812270e6/gg-logo-white.webp) Start Your Healing Journey With Us Counseling · Consulting · Community. A Black-owned group therapy practice serving Georgia, Illinois, and Florida — in person and via telehealth. 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