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The benefits of yoga for sleep in counselling patients

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Help your counselling patients get better sleep with this counterintuitive homework assignment: gentle movement. We know assigning homework is beneficial in client results and goal achievement, but some clients just don’t take well to sitting still. Meeting your client where they are can make all the difference in their results. Let’s talk about how to help restless clients get more sleep with gentle yoga. 

The benefits of yoga for sleep 

Yoga doesn’t have to be an hour-long intense practice. Studies have found that exercise can improve sleep for most, and yoga specifically helped older adults improve their quality of sleep. And the mindfulness practice, breathwork, and thought awareness allows clients to wind down and quiet their mind before bed.  

Gentle yoga for sleep: 

  • Yoga Nidra: The state of consciousness between waking and sleeping. Nidra is a deeply relaxing practice that requires little to no movement — making it one of the best for clients to start with. 
  • Hatha Yoga: This is what most people think of when they think ‘yoga’ — flowing through different poses, and holding them for a good stretch. 
  • Yin Yoga: This practice runs at a slower pace. Holding poses for longer allows for deeper muscle stretching 

How to successfully assign movement homework 

In order to reap the benefits, clients have to engage with the practice. So how can we get them started effectively? 

  1. Create the habit: The goal is to make this a nightly habit for consistently better sleep. Get clients to start slowly with just a few minutes or poses per night. Once they’re comfortable, set a plan to work up to more.
  2. Encourage a relaxing environment: It’s tough to relax in a stressful environment, so encourage clients to practice sleep hygiene: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene
  3. Check-in often: Touch base with your clients to see how their routine is going, and if adjustments need to be made. 

Use a digital homework app to build routines faster

It’s all too easy for clients to forget their homework as soon as they leave their session. Keep it top of mind with a digital homework app like Therachat. The app sits right on client’s own devices for the ultimate accessibility. From there, you can communicate with your clients, check-in between sessions, and offer positive reminders to stick to the new routine. More frequent check-ins allow clients to build the routine faster, and in turn, feel better faster. Learn more about Therachat for clinicians. 

How to keep clients on-track with mindful eating

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Mindful eating can make a big impact in clients lives — in grounding the body to the present moment and putting a focus on fuelling the body with the right foods. The goal is to savour the full experience of momentary presence while enjoying a meal or snack. Research has found that healthy eating can impact the mind as 95% of serotonin production happens in the gastrointestinal tract. The pairing of good nutrition with mindful eating can have a big impact on client sleep, mood, appetite, and pain. While we know there are benefits to mindful eating, it can sometimes be difficult to keep clients on track. Here’s how to pair nutrition with client consistency. 

Putting a focus on nutrition

There are certain foods that may be beneficial for clients to limit or avoid during this time of mindful eating. We always recommend consulting with a nutritionist before making dietary changes

  • Alcohol: While alcohol isn’t inherently bad, it can be a difficult habit for some clients to manage or enjoy responsibly. It can also put a veil on mindfulness, taking some clients out of their body. 
  • Caffeine: Balance is key with caffeine! While it can be a tool for getting through the day, too much can lead to increased anxiety. This adds another challenge to the mindfulness process. 
  • High-sugar or processed foods: It’s okay to give into cravings every now and then! But practicing mindful eating with high sugar foods or processed foods can set the wrong tone for their mental health journey. 

Keep clients on track with mindful eating 

Like anything, mindfulness is a habit. It’ll take time to incorporate into a client’s daily life — but there are easy ways to support clients along their journey. 

Encourage journaling 

Writing down thoughts and feelings can help clients solidify their new habit. By reflecting on their experience after mindful eating, clients are more likely to recall their feelings about the event. The habit will seem more tangible and accessible, making clients more likely to engage with mindful eating in the future. 

Getting into journaling can be tricky, but many clients report journaling to be one of the best ways to progress in their mental health journey. Starting with something as small as journaling about mindful eating can open a door to consistent journaling — leading to better client outcomes in the future. Clients who enjoy journaling about this process can try advanced journaling, or turn to prompts to spark inspiration for journal entries. 

Utilize technology 

Following up with clients between sessions is one of the best ways to keep a client on-track with mindful eating. Research has shown that counsellors who don’t consistently follow-up on homework are less likely to generate client regard for the activity. It can be tough to reach out to clients during sessions in a professional way. That’s why digital homework apps are becoming a key tool for counsellors and their clients. 

A digital homework app like Therachat offers innovative features to keep clients on-track with their goals, like daily homework reminders, mindfulness exercises, emotion tracking and skill-building exercises. Keeping mindful eating and journaling top of mind will help clients strengthen their mindfulness skills. Consistency is key. 

Level-up your counselling practice

Are you looking to level-up your counselling practice with digital tools? Therachat can help. Clinicians can take advantage of: 

  • Creating and customize homework
  • Choose from a library of pre-made, engaging activities
  • Get realtime results & compliancy
  • Unlimited, secure messaging

Get started today

The benefits of meditation and mindfulness in counselling

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Meditation has a whole host of benefits. Encouraging clients to carve out just 5 to 10 minutes of their day to focus on breathing and calming thoughts can go a long way. Research has found that meditation can improve focus, and reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. It can even help in the treatment of addiction, and soothe pain. It might take some time to make it a habit, but it’s worth it to promote positive mental health. Let’s dive into some of the benefits 

Helps manage anxiety and depression 


A study from Johns Hopkins university found that meditation had the same effect size as antidepressants on reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and pain. 

Another study found that mindfulness showed a reduction in Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). 93 individuals who were diagnosed with GAD completed an 8-week Manualized Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction group program with stress management education. At the end of the 8-weeks, participants showed a significant reduction in anxiety and an increase in positive self-statements. 

Strengthens the brain 

A study found that people who maintained a long-term meditation practice lowered the negative impacts of aging on the brain. Importantly, those who had been meditating for an average of 20 years had more grey matter in their brains. Naturally, older meditators showed greater volume loss than young ones due to the regular aging process — but this volume loss was less pronounced than non-meditators. The researchers were expecting “ small and distinct effects located in some of the regions that had previously been associated with meditating,” but what they found instead was widespread effects. Overall, the results showed that meditation has a positive effect on the entire brain. 

Beneficial at any age 

Meditation is a practice, so the earlier clients start, the better. Meditation can have immense positive impacts on younger brains, setting them up for lifetime success. In fact, some schools have even started implementing meditation in their curriculum. By implementing 30 minutes of meditation per day, a high-risk San-Francisco school district saw a 79% decrease in suspensions, a 98% attendance rate, and a .4% increase in GPA. Overall, the students were less angry, calmer, and more mindful. 

Staying on-track

The most important metric for meditation is consistency. Training the brain is like training a muscle — if you don’t lose it, you lose it. Teaching clients to see meditation as a lifestyle helps keep them on-track and growing in their practice. The best part is, it doesn’t have to be complicated! It can be as simple as noticing small moments in their day: What are the sights and smells around them? Is something cold to the touch? What can they smell? Are the colours in the environment dull or vibrant? These check-ins are anchors that clients can advantage of at anytime to tune into their bodies and set the right intentions for the rest of the day. 

A digital homework app like Therachat is an innovative tool counsellors can use to support their client’s meditation practice. It offers features like daily homework reminders, skill-building activities, emotion tracking, and mindfulness exercises. Overall, it’s a way to stay connected to your clients and support them as they meet their goals.


Help your clients reach their goals faster. Learn more.

How to create a habit of gratitude journaling

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According to research, practicing gratitude is one of the simplest ways to increase and maintain happiness. So it’s no surprise that gratitude journaling has made its way into the daily habits of many. It’s accessible to get started, simple to pick up as a habit, and can offer a full range of benefits. Daily gratitude journaling can lead to increased positivity, reduced stress, and a generally pleasant outlook on life. With the help of a counsellor, clients can take advantage of these benefits and create a positive new daily habit. 

How to get clients started with gratitude journaling 

Clients can sometimes meet gratitude journaling with resistance. They may be unsure, skeptical of benefits, or just find it difficult to incorporate a new habit into their lives. This is natural and understandable. So how can they work past that? 

It’s important to make a new habit as easy as possible to reduce friction. So start as small as possible. Encourage clients to gratitude journal for just two minutes every day. That’s it. It may not seem like much, but by just showing up for the bare minimum, clients are already making gratitude journaling a habit. Once they’re comfortable with the two minutes of writing, slowly increase the time until you hit a new shared goal together. Whether it’s 5, 10, or 15 minutes, working up to new goals will not give clients the benefits of gratitude, but also the pride of knowing they stuck to it. 

When to gratitude journal 

It’s recommended that clients write in their gratitude journal first thing in the morning. Not only is it a great way for clients to incorporate a few minutes of ‘me-time’ into their day, but it’ll create a gratitude snowballing effect. When clients write down a few things they’re grateful for right at the beginning of the day, it’s easier to recognize more throughout the day. With confirmation bias on their side, clients will begin to realize just how much they have to be grateful for.  

Leverage technology 

In today’s tech-focused world, digital tools are the easiest way to stay in touch with clients and keep them engaged with gratitude journaling and other homework. A digital homework app like Therachat can support the counsellor-client relationship. Check in on client progress, send them prompts between sessions, and boost gratitude journaling compliance. Equip your clients with the tools to reach their goals faster.

Gratitude journaling prompts and structures

Not sure how to get clients started or how to offer guidance? Keep reading for a few easy to implement tools and exercises. Once clients get comfortable with the basics, they’ll feel more confident picking up a journal and writing on their own. Here are a few starting points:

  • The 5 Minute Journal: The 5 Minute Journal is an amazing tool for clients who want structure laid out for them in the simplest way. All it takes is a few minutes in the morning and a few at night to build the habit of gratitude journaling. The journal leads people to a better version of themselves. 
  • 5 specific things you’re grateful for: This is another great exercise for beginners. Ask clients to note 5 things they’re grateful for. The goal is to be as specific as possible. For example, rather than “I’m grateful for my family,” aim for something more like “I’m grateful that I got to speak with my mom on the phone today.” The specifics of gratitude not only produce more of an emotional response, but they keep things interesting.
  • Gratitude in the physical space: This one doubles as a grounding mindfulness exercise. Ask clients to look at the physical space and either write or mentally note everything they’re grateful for. So if they’re on the bus, maybe they’d find beauty in the blue sky just outside the window, or watching strangers share a laugh. Clients can do this exercise anywhere, and anytime. So encourage them to take mental breaks during the day to tune into this exercise. Whether they’re at a park, in their home office, or in the middle of a trip to the grocery store — encourage clients to find the good in their space. 

Support your clients with gratitude journaling

Introducing gratitude journaling is well worth the benefits. Over time, clients will feel more comfortable, confident, and even enjoy reaching for gratitude in their mental toolbelt. For counsellors looking to support their clients along the way, digital tools like Therachat will boost gratitude journaling compliance and build positive habits faster. Use Therachat as a channel for communication with your clients, and get them on track to become gratitude journaling pros. Learn more.

Best Mobile Mindfulness and Journaling Apps for Clients and Therapists

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The world of mobile apps continues to grow on us. According to forecasting, the number of apps downloaded in 2017 was over 190M+ (Statista) across the world’s devices and a growing portion of those downloads are focused heavily towards self-help, improvement and care.

A lot of these applications can be useful for your clients and even for yourself to help monitor the progress of clients. There are many benefits to using technology when it comes to helping your clients reach outcomes faster. This is due to a variety of factors. [Read more…] about Best Mobile Mindfulness and Journaling Apps for Clients and Therapists

50 Best Counseling, Therapy and Mindfulness Blogs

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Blogs are one of the best resources out there for learning new things— they can help you with all sorts, from that vegan carrot cake recipe you’ve always wanted, all the way to fixing your mountain bike.

Whilst we gain value from all of these blogs, we also get to know the characters behind the words and their opinions on the world. As we all know, the world of mental health covers a broad spectrum, from suffering from the disorder to the actionable treatment itself there will be a blog to help go along with that.

In this article, we explore the world of blogs that cover counseling, mindfulness, and therapy to give you all of the right ammunition to go deeper in the treatment of your mental health disorder. The insights from these blogs range from credible scientific research to snippets of real-life stories and experiences with mental health. [Read more…] about 50 Best Counseling, Therapy and Mindfulness Blogs