It won’t come as a surprise that as a therapist, I think therapy is a worthwhile investment but I’m also a pragmatist: I know that given the expense of therapy, sometimes my clients aren’t able to come in as often as they would like or would benefit from. I also recognize that as productive as our sessions may be, the timing can feel a little off. Clients will sometimes say to me, “Can you just come along in my pocket and help me say that to that person?” or “I wish I could have had you there when it happened.” They would like support in the moment when they need it, not a few days before or after.
While it’s not possible to have a therapist shadow you all day, every day (nor would you really want that!), you can access some help from the cell phone in your pocket. Yes, there are apps for that.
A disclaimer that I give all of my clients about apps: sample a bunch to uncover your personal likes and dislikes. Apps are tools that are only going to be useful to you if you like them enough to use them and as with therapists themselves, there’s a wide variety of them out there — some great, some so-so, some meh.
Here are some of the apps to begin your sampling:
1) eCBT Calm eCBT Calm by MindApps LLC offers helpful assessments for stress, relaxation tips, and information about stress and anxiety.
2) Depression CBT Self-Help Guide by Excel at Life helps you to understand the causes of depression, identify the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs that are contributing to your depression, and helps you make concrete plans to alleviate your depressive symptoms.
3) Any apps by Andrew Johnson (Relax, Sleep, and Confidence are examples). Andrew Johnson’s relaxation/meditation apps are worth a listen if you want a calming voice with a great Scottish accent to help you relax.
4) MoodKit by Thriveport LLC helps you track your moods, suggests mood-improvement activities, and lets you keep a journal of your moods.
5) Breathe2Relax by T2 offers breathing exercises to help with stress reduction.
If you have an app that you love to use, please send it my way. I am always looking to expand my list and make it as helpful as possible. Thanks!