Preparation: Before the Journey

Start by reflecting on why you are exploring this experience. What feels difficult? What would you like to understand? What patterns, feelings or relationships are you hoping to work with? Journalling or talking with your therapist can help you identify what matters without needing to find all the answers beforehand.

An intention might be, “I want to understand my anxiety,” or, “I want to meet myself with more compassion.” Let it be a direction rather than a demand. The experience may unfold differently from what you imagine, and a dramatic breakthrough is not a measure of success.

Discuss what you might experience and how your team will support you. Understanding the unfamiliar can make it easier to communicate your needs when emotions or sensations become intense.

Give your body consistent care in the lead-up: adequate sleep, regular nourishing meals, normal hydration and gentle movement that feels comfortable. Avoid treating preparation as another demanding task or assuming that a cleanse, fast or restrictive diet will improve the experience.

Physical preparation also includes a thorough health and medication review with the treating clinician. Share your medical and mental health history, previous medicine experiences, medications, supplements and substance use honestly. Different medicines have different requirements; follow instructions specific to your treatment rather than a general online checklist.

Do not stop or change prescribed medication yourself. Any changes need to be planned with your prescriber and treatment team. Ask for clear guidance on food, fluids and other substances before the session, and tell the team if you become unwell or unusually depleted.

Before the session, explore simple ways of returning your attention to the present. This might mean noticing your feet on the floor, looking around the room, listening to familiar music or breathing gently without forcing or holding your breath.

These practices are not about preventing every difficult feeling. They help you become familiar with ways of finding reassurance and asking for support. If you have a history of trauma or dissociation, discuss which approaches feel helpful with your therapist; turning inward or focusing on the breath does not feel settling for everyone.

Know who you will speak with afterwards, when your follow-up appointments will happen and how to contact the team between sessions. Ask whether support can include somatic or body-based approaches if these are helpful to you.

Integration gives you time to explore what the experience means and how it relates to everyday life. You may feel clear, tired, tender, uncertain or several things at once. Give insights time to settle before making major decisions, and remember that an experience can feel deeply meaningful without every interpretation being literally true.

At The Mental Wealth Hub, we believe these therapies deserve thoughtful preparation and ongoing care. Getting ready is an act of self-respect: giving your mind and body attention, choosing people you trust and making room for what follows.