Why prompts help

A blank page is an invitation to write anything, which can make it hard to write anything at all. Prompts give you a direction without dictating the destination. They are not scripts. They are openings.

Prompts for processing a recent session

  • What from the last session stayed with me this week?
  • Was there something that felt unfinished or that I wanted to say but did not?
  • Did anything we discussed show up differently in my week than I expected?
  • What do I want to bring to the next session that I did not get to last time?

Prompts for noticing patterns

  • When did I feel the way I have been describing in therapy? What was happening?
  • What did I avoid this week, and what was underneath that?
  • When did I respond to something in a way I later questioned?
  • What triggered the feeling I have been trying to understand?

Prompts for anxiety and worry

  • What am I most worried about right now? How likely is that outcome?
  • What is the worst version of what I am afraid of? What would I do if it happened?
  • What physical sensations does this anxiety produce? Where do I feel it?
  • What would I say to a friend who was worrying about exactly this?

Prompts for low mood

  • What has felt heavy this week? What helped, even slightly?
  • When did I last feel okay? What was different then?
  • What am I telling myself about the situation? Is that telling accurate?
  • What is one small thing I did this week that I can notice without judging?

Prompts for relationships

  • Was there a moment this week where I felt misunderstood? What was I actually trying to say?
  • Did I avoid a conversation I probably needed to have? What stopped me?
  • What do I need from the people around me right now that I have not asked for?

In Betterjournal, your clinician can send you specific prompts directly as assigned homework, tailored to what you are working on together. You write on your own time. You choose whether to share.

Prompts for homework completion

  • What was I assigned to try this week? Did I do it? If not, what got in the way?
  • If I did try it, what did I notice? What was harder or easier than I expected?
  • What would I want my clinician to know about how the week went with this?

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