Journaling as Integration: A Therapist's Personal and Professional Reflection
Journaling as Integration: A Therapist’s Personal and Professional Reflection
I started journaling in high school—pages of teenage thoughts, dreams, and prayers. Through college and early adulthood, journaling was my way of processing life. It helped me untangle what I felt and find words for what I barely understood.
And then… I became a mom. Life got fuller and louder. Mornings became about making breakfast and finding missing shoes, and evenings were filled with homework, dishes, and just enough energy to maybe zone out on the couch. Journaling slowed. Sometimes it stopped.
But I’ve learned—both personally and professionally—that journaling isn’t just about documenting our lives. It’s a practice that literally helps us integrate our experience. And that integration is key to healing.
Why Journaling Works
When we go through something stressful or overwhelming—whether a big trauma or a moment of deep frustration—it’s common for our brain to store that experience in a fragmented way.
Our right brain holds the imagery, emotions, and body sensations.
Our left brain is responsible for language, logic, and meaning-making.
Journaling invites both hemispheres to come online. When we write about a feeling, we’re turning an emotional, sensory experience into words. That simple act helps the brain create coherence—a felt sense that “this happened, I’ve made sense of it, and I can move forward.”
This is especially true when we write by hand. The physical act of writing slows us down just enough to notice what’s really happening inside.
Not a Writer? You Don’t Have to Be.
Journaling isn’t about grammar or perfection. It’s about presence.
Here are a few gentle ways to begin:
Start with a question: “What am I feeling right now?” or “What needs my attention?”
Try a 5-minute timer: No pressure, no edits—just let the words come.
Use bullet points if full sentences feel like too much.
Even one paragraph, scribbled in a notebook while waiting in the pickup line, can be a moment of reconnection. And! You do have to keep it. You have permission to throw it away, if that feels best.
Try This Grounding Journaling Prompt
This prompt supports nervous system regulation and whole-brain integration. Use it when you feel overwhelmed, shut down, or unsure of what you need.
Step 1: Settle
Find a quiet moment. Sit somewhere comfortable. Take a few slow breaths. Let your shoulders drop.
Step 2: Write this phrase:
“Right now, I notice…”
Step 3: Complete the sentence—whatever comes up is okay:
…tension in my shoulders.
…a part of me wants to disappear.
…I feel blank.
…I’m remembering something from last week.
…that I actually feel okay right now.
Keep going if more comes. Let it flow without editing. This isn’t about “doing it right”—it’s about making space for what’s true.
Bonus Prompts:
“If this feeling could speak, it would say…”
“A part of me wants…, and another part feels…”
“What I need right now is…”
“One kind thing I can offer myself is…”
You might write for one minute or ten. You might just jot down a word. That’s enough.
Journaling as a Tool for Healing
Admittedly, I still very rarely make time to journal—but when I do, I remember why it matters. Not everyone journals, and that’s completely okay. But for those who do begin—even just occasionally—I often see something shift.
Journaling can become a bridge—between parts of ourselves, between emotion and meaning, between past experiences and present understanding. It helps us reconnect with ourselves, to be present in a world that constantly pulls us toward distraction, busyness, or numbing.
It’s a practice of slowing down and listening inward—of naming what’s true, even if just for a moment. And that alone can be a powerful step toward healing.
You don’t have to journal every day. You just have to start.