Practice Between CBT Sessions

Why Practice Matters in CBT

A 50-minute session is a small part of your week. Most of the moments where anxiety, procrastination, or self-doubt show up happen outside the therapy room. Practicing between sessions lets you try new responses in the situations where they matter most. It also gives you real examples to bring back, which makes the next session more specific and useful. Practice is how the ideas from a session turn into something you can actually use when it counts.

What Practice Can Look Like

Practice varies widely. It might be noting a few anxious thoughts during the week, trying one behavioral experiment, using a short routine before bed, or simply noticing when a pattern shows up. For a college student, it might fit into a walk between classes. For a busy adult, it might take five minutes. The format is chosen together and kept realistic. Starting small often works better than an ambitious plan that is hard to keep up.

When It Does Not Get Done

Life gets busy, and sometimes practice does not happen. That is not a failure. In CBT, it becomes useful information: Was the task too big? Was the timing wrong? Did something get in the way, like worry or avoidance? Talking through what happened often leads to a better plan. Marie approaches this with curiosity rather than judgment. Often, the obstacle becomes the most useful thing to work on next, since it shows exactly where the pattern gets in the way.

Adapting for ADHD and Busy Lives

People with ADHD, heavy course loads, or demanding jobs may need practice designed differently. That might mean reminders on a phone, pairing practice with an existing habit, or using a voice memo instead of writing. CBT is flexible, and the goal is a plan that works with your brain and your schedule rather than against them. Marie can help you test different formats until one feels sustainable, and adjust it again as your schedule changes.

Asking About It Before You Start

If you are curious about how much practice to expect, that is a reasonable question for a free 15-minute consultation. Marie works with teens, young adults, college students, and adults throughout Oregon, online and with current Portland office availability to ask about. Individual sessions are $200 for 50 minutes. Couples or family sessions are $225. You can also ask how practice might be adapted for a teen, since parents sometimes wonder how much involvement is expected at home.

Questions You May Have