75 Therapy Journal Prompts For Confidence, Leadership, And Exploring Feelings

One of the great benefits to journaling, especially when using journal prompts for after therapy, is its remarkable ability to help us discover profound insights about ourselves and effectively work through issues that may serve as roadblocks in our life.

Using the strategy of journaling on a regular basis can be therapeutic, and ultimately enable us to move forward, living a fuller and more satisfying life.

Writing in a journal is actually a strategy that is commonly used in therapy sessions with professionals.

You can enjoy the same benefits of exploring your feelings about a particular issue, identifying key triggers, and setting goals to deal with these things just by journaling at home.

In this article you will find 75 journal prompts that are categorized to help you focus on the area you want.

Using the prompts that connect with your issue or topic, write as frequently as you like in the comfort of your own home.

Be your true self when you write. Honesty is super important to becoming self-aware.

Join me as I take you through some prompts and let them inspire you to write and ultimately feel better.

Journal Prompts For After Therapy

Let’s face it, digging into past hurts and problems is like ripping off a bandage.

You might come out of a therapy session with your counselor, psychologist, or psycho-therapist feeling emotionally and psychologically exhausted.

The journal prompts in this category can help you to restore a sense of calm within yourself after a therapy session.

There are prompts that will get you doing some reflecting and writing about things that came up during your therapy session.

These prompts will allow you to deepen your understanding, and may lead to breakthroughs.

For example:

Were there any surprising thoughts or feelings that came up for you during your session?

What are some practical tools that you learned today that will help you when you are struggling?

Was there something you wanted to discuss today but it didn’t come up?

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Prompts For After Therapy

1. "What stuck out to you the most during your session?"

2. "Were there any surprising thoughts or feelings that came up for you during your session?"

3. "How did you feel 10 minutes after your therapy session today?"

4. "What do you need to do to prepare for your next session?"

5. "How are you feeling after your therapy session?"

6. "Did you receive any homework or activities to do and/or practice before the next therapy session? How do you feel about it?"

7. "Did you learn anything new about yourself?"

8. "What are some practical tools that you learned today that will help you when you are struggling?"

9. "Were there any points during therapy today that were tough to talk through?"

10. "Was there something you wanted to discuss today but it didn’t come up?"

Journal Prompts About Leader Mindset

A goal that many people have is to increase their leadership ability.

The journal prompts here will encourage you to look at where you are at right now, and what things you can do to develop your leadership mindset.

Very often we are our own worst enemy, and we run a script in our head that says we are not capable, we lack skills, we don’t have potential.

Let’s flip that script, and see ourselves as great candidates for leadership! You may surprise yourself by all of the leadership skills and potential you have.

Writing about yourself as a leader, and setting goals to achieve leadership can be instrumental in moving you toward a leadership position.

Go for it!

Journal Prompts About Leader Mindset

11. "What are five positive thoughts that you can tell yourself when you are feeling down?"

12. "What is a negative thought that has been recurring? How can you deconstruct it and turn it positive?"

13. "Describe a day you’ve had that started out bad but turned out to be a good day. How did you achieve that shift in mindset?"

14. "Are there any books or tools you have found that have helped you learn about having a positive mindset? What are they and what was the biggest lesson from them?"

15. "Did you know that you can control your thoughts? Today, try your best to only think positive thoughts. At the end of the day describe how this went. Did you notice any changes?"

16. "What cognitive distortions do you identify the most with?"

17. "What are three affirmations you can tell yourself this week to improve your mindset?"

18. "Write down as many thoughts you’ve had during the day as you can. How many of them were negative? How many of them were positive?"

Journal Prompts To Boost Your Confidence

Building confidence is based on knowing yourself, your strengths as well as those qualities you want to develop.

The first prompt in this list is; How do you think your life would change if you loved and accepted yourself just as you are?

This gets you thinking about how much you love and accept yourself, and then about actual ways your life could be improved by loving yourself for who you are.

Journaling is an effective way of exploring how we feel about ourselves. It gives us the chance to write about times when we felt confident, or identify occasions when we doubted our abilities.

This process is how we come to know ourselves better. This, in turn, reveals to us what character traits we want to build.

The next step? Making a plan with an overall goal and mini-goals to get there!

You can do this!!

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Journal Prompts To Boost Your Confidence

19. "How do you think your life would change if you loved and accepted yourself just as you are?"

20. "Why do you think you struggle with self acceptance?"

21. "Describe a time in your life when you felt the most confident. What made you feel that way?"

22. "Have you taken the time to appreciate yourself lately? If not, how can you do that this week?"

23. "How do you feel when someone compliments you?"

24. "When was the last time you were proud of yourself?"

25. "Write down three of your favorite songs about self acceptance. What do the lyrics mean to you?"

26. "What parts of your personality, skills, appearance, etc. do you love the most, and why?"

27. "What makes you feel loved?"

28. "What does self acceptance mean to you?"

Therapy Letter Journal Prompts

Writing letters has fallen by the wayside since social media came on the scene.

However, writing letters can be a powerful tool for expressing ourselves, and for working through issues we might have.

In therapy letter journal prompts, you find suggestions for writing letters to people who were important in your life for one reason or another.

It may be that they did something for you, or that you owe them a debt of gratitude , or even need to extend them an apology.

Dealing with uncomfortable things from our past, allows us to recognize it, and then move on.

By writing a therapy letter, you could be unlocking the door to greater freedom for yourself.

Lift the weight off your shoulders.

Therapy Letter Journal Prompts

29. "Write a letter to someone who has been a positive influence to you."

30. "Write a letter to yourself ten years in the future. Then seal it in an envelope to be opened ten years after today’s date."

31. "Write an encouraging letter to yourself to read on a bad day."

32. "Write a letter to encourage someone else."

33. "Write a letter to someone you are thankful for."

34. "Write a letter to someone that inspires you to keep going."

35. "Write a letter to someone who has had a negative impact on your life."

Journal Prompts For Your Feelings

Have you ever bottled up your feelings; tried to deny that they were there; avoided expressing them?

The result can be frustration, sadness and anxiety.

When we bury feelings that come out of an uncomfortable or negative situation, they can fester, and actually become much bigger than they were initially.

The journal prompts in this list encourage you to look at how you are feeling, or how you felt at certain times.

You will write in your journal about the source of those feelings, and how you can work through them.

You might end up using a therapy letter to work through the feelings!

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Journal Prompts For Your Feelings

36. "What’s your love language (words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service, physical touch, or quality time)? How can you better show love to yourself through that?"

37. "Who are you the most positive around, and who seems to bring out more negative thoughts?"

38. "What causes you to get angry? Are there any certain coping skills that help you calm down?"

39. "What are the emotions that you feel the most? Are they mostly positive or mostly negative?"

40. "Who is someone in your life that always seems positive? How can you learn from them to develop a more positive mindset?"

41. "What helps brighten your day when you are going through a hard time?"

42. "Do you express your feelings easily? If not, why?"

43. "When was the last time you cried and what helped you feel better?"

44. "Check in with yourself – how are you feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally today?"

45. "What makes you feel the most confident?"

46. "Write one to three things that inspire you to be your best self?"

47. "Write down 5 things, or activities, that make you the happiest. Why do they make you happy?"

48. "What makes you feel like your most authentic self? Is it being around a certain person, doing a certain activity, etc.."

49. "What are your triggers that cause you to feel anxious? How can you avoid them or minimize their effect on your mental health?"

Therapy List Journal Prompts

Focusing on the number five, therapy journal prompts ask you very specific questions to get you generating lists on particular things.

One example of these prompts is, what are five things you are grateful for in your life right now?

Another prompt is, write down five compliments you have gotten from friends and family.

Yet another prompt calls you to list things you want to tell your future self.

Journaling based on these prompts can lead you to recognizing aspects of yourself that you may not have been aware of before, and can help you to accept yourself and realize that you have many good qualities, as well as supportive family and friends.

Therapy List Journal Prompts

50. "Who are five people in your life that you are grateful for?"

51. "What are five things you can remind yourself of when you are having anxiety."

52. "What are five things that you love about yourself?"

53. "What are three things you want to tell your future self?"

54. "What are five good thoughts you have had recently?"

55. "What are five things you are grateful for in your life right now?"

56. "What are three things you want to tell your past self?"

57. "Describe yourself in three words, then explain why you picked those words."

58. "Write down five compliments you have gotten from friends and family."

59. "Describe three times in your life when you felt the happiest."

Miscellaneous Prompts For Therapy

Not sure what you want to focus on? This list of miscellaneous prompts for therapy can help reveal to you certain things about yourself that you might want to delve into deeper.

Read through the list and just see what strikes a chord with you. Then start writing in your journal and see where your writing takes you.

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Miscellaneous Prompts For Therapy

60. "What are your monthly, yearly, and/or life goals? How do you plan on achieving them?"

61. "What do you most want your children (or future children) to learn from you?"

62. "What does your perfect day look like?"

63. "How do you define these words: success, happiness, contentment, growth?"

64. "What is something you are hoping to overcome? How are you going to make that happen?"

65. "How do you practice self care?"

66. "How has journaling impacted your mental health?"

67. "What five traits do you value most in potential partners?"

68. "What are three things working well in your current relationship? What are three things that could be better?"

69. "What boundaries could you set in your relationships to safeguard your own well-being?"

70. "If you could spend the day with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and what would you do?"

71. "Find an inspirational quote and write it out. What thoughts come to mind when you are reading it?"

72. "If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and what would you do?"

73. "How do you show compassion to others? How can you extend that same compassion to yourself?"

74. "Do you find yourself comparing yourself against others? When do those feelings typically come up, and how can you put a stop to them?"

75. "What is something that you’ve always wanted to do but fear has held you back? How can you face that fear and go after what you want?"

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Should I Journal After Therapy?

Journaling after therapy allows you to delve deeper into the insights gained during your sessions. It provides a space to reflect, process emotions, and reinforce the positive changes you're making.

How Often Should I Journal After Therapy?

There's no set frequency – it's about what feels right for you. Some find daily journaling helpful, while others opt for a few times a week. The key is consistency.

What If I Don't Know What To Write About?

Start with prompts related to your recent therapy discussions or explore your current emotions. Our prompts offer guidance, but you can always write about anything that comes to mind.

Can Journaling Replace Therapy?

Journaling is a valuable complement to therapy, but it's not a substitute. It can enhance self-awareness and self-care, but ongoing professional therapy support is essential for addressing complex issues.

How Can Journaling Benefit My Mental Health Post-Therapy?

Journaling promotes self-reflection, reduces stress, enhances emotional regulation, and helps track progress. It's a tool for maintaining the growth you experience in therapy.

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