What Is Therapy Reflection? A Complete Guide

Therapy reflection is the intentional practice of reviewing, processing, and thinking about what you discussed in your therapy sessions. It's the bridge between the insights you gain in the therapy room and the changes you make in your daily life.

Without reflection, therapy sessions can feel disconnected — a series of conversations that don't quite add up to lasting change. With reflection, each session builds on the last, and progress becomes visible.

Why Therapy Reflection Matters

Research consistently shows that clients who engage in between-session reflection see better therapy outcomes. Here's why:

Memory consolidation. Reviewing session content within 24 hours helps transfer insights from short-term to long-term memory.
Pattern recognition. Reflection helps you notice recurring themes, triggers, and responses across sessions and in daily life.
Deeper processing. During sessions, you're often in an emotional state that limits analytical thinking. Reflection allows you to process content more deeply when you're calmer.
Accountability. When you reflect on goals and action items, you're more likely to follow through.
Session continuity. Reflection creates a thread between sessions, so each appointment starts from a stronger foundation.

Types of Therapy Reflection

Post-Session Review

The most fundamental type: reviewing what happened in your session shortly after it ends. This might involve writing a summary, listening to a recording, or simply sitting with your thoughts for a few minutes.

Journaling

Keeping a therapy journal where you write about session content, your reactions, and how insights connect to your week. This can be structured (using prompts) or freeform.

Guided Reflection

Using specific questions or prompts to direct your thinking. For example:

What was the most important thing from today's session?
What emotion came up most strongly?
How does today's discussion connect to my life this week?
What is one thing I want to try before next session?

Session Recording Review

Listening to or reading a transcript of your session. This is especially powerful because it captures details you may have missed or forgotten. Apps like Therapy Mallard make this easy by automatically recording, transcribing, and highlighting key themes.

How to Build a Reflection Practice

Start Small

You don't need to write pages. Start with 5 minutes after each session, answering one question: "What was the most important thing we talked about today?"

Create a Routine

Tie reflection to an existing habit. Review your session notes over morning coffee, or write a brief journal entry before bed. Consistency matters more than duration.

Use Technology

A therapy companion app can make reflection easier by providing structured summaries and prompts rather than requiring you to start from a blank page.

Share with Your Therapist

Bring your reflections to sessions. This gives your therapist insight into what resonated, what you're struggling with, and how therapy is landing in your actual life.

Common Reflection Mistakes

Waiting too long. If you wait until the day before your next session, you've already lost most of the detail. Reflect within 24 hours.
Confusing reflection with rumination. Reflection is purposeful and moves toward action. Rumination loops without progress.
Being too perfectionistic. Brief, imperfect notes are infinitely more valuable than a perfect journal you never write in.
Only reflecting on problems. Also reflect on progress, strengths, and what's going well.

Therapy Reflection and Between-Session Work

Reflection is one part of a broader set of between-session practices that includes therapy homework, mood tracking, and skill practice. Together, these activities ensure that therapy isn't limited to 50 minutes a week, but extends into every day.

Learn more about making the most of this time in our guide on getting more out of therapy between sessions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is therapy reflection?

Therapy reflection is the intentional practice of reviewing, processing, and thinking about what you discussed in your therapy sessions. It involves recalling key insights, connecting them to your daily experiences, and considering how to apply what you've learned. Reflection can take many forms, including journaling, reviewing session recordings, or simply sitting quietly and thinking about your session.

How often should I reflect on therapy?

Ideally, you should do some form of reflection within 24 hours of each session, and at least one mid-week check-in. The same-day reflection captures content while it's fresh, while mid-week reflection helps you connect insights to your daily life. Even 5-10 minutes per session is beneficial.

What's the difference between reflection and rumination?

Reflection is purposeful, time-limited, and action-oriented. You review what happened, extract meaning, and consider what to do next. Rumination is repetitive, open-ended, and often focused on negative feelings without moving toward resolution. If your thinking feels stuck in a loop, shift to a specific question like "What is one thing I can do differently today?"

Do I need to write things down, or can I just think about my session?

While simply thinking about your session is better than nothing, writing (or recording your thoughts) tends to be more effective. Writing forces you to organize your thoughts, creates a record you can revisit, and engages different cognitive processes that deepen understanding. Even brief bullet points are helpful.

Can a therapy companion app help with reflection?

Yes. Apps like Therapy Mallard can record and transcribe your sessions, extract key themes and insights automatically, and prompt you to reflect on specific discussion points. This gives you structured material to work with rather than relying on memory alone.