Integration guide
Support in processing your experience
Taking an active role in engaging with the experiences from your previous session is instrumental to their integration into your life. Think of these experiences as seeds, and your nurturing care and attention as the vital water and nutrition that enable them to take root and flourish. This process is very personal, with no fixed roadmap – it evolves completely at your own pace.
When you are in collaboration with a therapist, we encourage you to seek their guidance on how to optimally facilitate the integration of your experience. Your therapist can provide personalized strategies to help you navigate your journey effectively.
Whether you’ve unearthed treasured memories, gained meaningful insights, released pent-up emotions, found much needed moments of serenity, or navigated through challenging terrain, we’ve curated a collection of reflective exercises to aid you in this work.
Before you engage with the below reflections we recommend the following:
Please remember that there are no right or wrong answers to these questions. Your experiences and perspectives are entirely unique to you. Embrace this diversity, and approach your exploration openly and without judgment.
Integration is a journey that extends beyond the session itself, continuing to unfold in the days, weeks, and months that follow. Follow your intuition when selecting which reflections to focus on. Allow your thoughts to meander freely, without any rush. Feel free to pause and return to this page whenever you feel the need.
Given the personal nature of this work, we encourage you to select a setting where interruptions are less likely. This might be a private room or even an outdoor space that resonates with you and provides a sense of privacy and tranquility. You may want to remove yourself from the screen entirely during the reflections.
Avoid turning this into a purely mental exercise. Engage your entire being in this process. Listen to the emotions and physical sensations that may surface, and let them find expression in your reflections. Consider incorporating creative outlets like drawing or moving your body if they resonate with you.
It’s advisable to refrain from taking substantial actions that could have lasting consequences for several weeks following your session. Give the experience time to settle and grant yourself ample opportunity to weigh its implications. For instance, consider delaying actions such as ending relationships, selling property, or any significant life-altering choices until you’ve had sufficient time to process and carefully evaluate the pros and cons associated with such significant decisions. Your post-session insights deserve thoughtful consideration, and allowing them to marinate ensures that your choices are well-informed and aligned with your evolving perspective.
Take a moment to reflect on the words that come to mind that describe your experience, and allow words to naturally surface. While words can never fully encapsulate the intricate tapestry of your experience, they can serve as a guiding light to help you and those you work with about this experience navigate your inner world. Consider which combination of these words might best capture and honor the essence of your unique experience.
In addition to this, you can consider any of the following exercises to follow:
1. Emotion Mapping
Draw a diagram or flowchart to visually represent how these words interconnect and influence one another in your experience. This can help you better understand the complex dynamics at play.
2. Journaling
Write a brief narrative or journal entry expanding on the words you’ve chosen. Explore why these particular words resonate with you and how they relate to your experience and your life.
3. Word Collage
After jotting down your chosen words, create a visual representation of your feelings by arranging them in a collage. This artistic expression can provide insights into the connections between your emotions.
4. Creative Expression
Engage in creative outlets such as painting, drawing, or writing poetry inspired by your chosen words. These forms of self-expression can offer a deepening of insights.
5. Guided Imagery
Close your eyes and imagine a serene place where you can explore these emotions safely. Picture how each word manifests in this imaginary setting and how they interact.
6. Body Scan
Conduct a body scan meditation, focusing on each word as you move your attention from head to toe. Notice any physical sensations or tension associated with these words.
Reflecting on your session is a crucial step in the integration process. As you delve into your memories, feelings, sights, and sounds from the session, remember that it’s a safe and supportive space to explore your inner world. Here are some guiding questions to help you begin:
- Memories: Can you vividly recall any particular moments or experiences from your session that stand out to you? What made these moments significant?
- Emotions: How did you feel during the session? Were there specific emotions that were particularly strong or noteworthy? Were there any surprises in how you felt?
- Sensory Impressions: What sights and sounds do you remember from the session? Were there any specific visuals or sounds that had an impact on you?
- Physical Sensations: Were there any physical sensations or bodily experiences that you noticed during the session? Did your body react in any particular way to what was happening internally or externally?
Did you encounter any moments during your experience that offered you a fresh perspective on problems or challenges? Did you gain newfound clarity on a specific issue, problem, or area of your life? Perhaps you uncovered a valuable takeaway or lesson?
Take a moment to reflect on these enlightening moments and what they have unveiled to you. Allow yourself to feel any emotions that may emerge and engage in free association of thoughts, as this can be instrumental in deepening your insights.
In addition to this, you can consider any of the following exercises to follow:
- Experiencing: Close your eyes and visualize the moments of newfound clarity you experienced. Allow yourself to feel all emotions and sensations associated with these insights. How do they make you feel, and how might you apply this clarity in your daily life
- Journaling: Take a journal or a notepad and write down the problems or issues that you saw from a new perspective during your session. Describe the wasy you look at these now following the insightfulness. Reflect on the various ways this can inform and impact your life positively, and possibly any concrete actions that might come to mind inspired by these insights. Are there specific actions you might take based on these lessons? Is there anything you might want to do less
- Creative Expression: Use art, writing, or movement as a means of expression. Create a piece of art, write a poem, or dance to embody the moments of clarity and the lessons you’ve learned.
In the wake of this session, it’s natural for certain aspects to remain shrouded in some confusion or uncertainty. Acknowledging and addressing these areas can be an essential part of your therapeutic journey.
Our foremost advice is to refrain from hastily passing judgment on these experiences and resist the urge to hastily seek solutions. Often, there is genuine value in exploring the nuances of these experiences, even though they may present challenges.
If you are already engaged with a therapist, we strongly encourage you to engage with these types of experiences together. Your therapist can provide invaluable support and guidance in navigating these uncharted territories. For those who may not currently have a therapist, it’s important to recognize that you need not undertake this journey in isolation. A growing number of therapists specialize in the realm of “integration” and can offer tailored assistance. Always prioritize working with qualified and licensed care providers to ensure your well-being and the quality of your therapeutic experience.
Footnote for those that have access to the session music:
The act of listening can serve as a bridge to reconnect with the experiences you’ve encountered. This listening isn’t solely about aiding your memory of the session; it can help to further nurture and sustain the therapeutic progress that was sparked during your session. Feel free to revisit the session’s musical recording as frequently as you wish and use this as part of this process. If you have not yet received this recording, please contact and ask the therapist you worked with directly. In case you are subscribed to Wavepaths Light for personal use, please note that we currently do not support the access and sharing of session recordings (This is available in Basic and Pro tiers only).