From Crisis to Continuity: How Gentle Check Ins Sustain Healing

October 2, 2025
Comments: 20
Posted by: cbtkeadmin

For aeons, I opined that clients often sought therapy when they were facing a crisis such as trauma, school related problems, job loss, marital discord, or problems in their families. My observation stemmed from the fact that people would often wait until the 11th hour, when life felt unbearable, overwhelming, and marked by heightened emotional responses, such as frustration, anger, and sadness. Hence, the debilitating stress and anxiety would disrupt the daily functioning and routines, inevitably resulting in seeking professional assistance.

In the therapy room, I observed that most clients gained significant traction after four sessions, including prior assessment of a potential diagnosis. This provided insight into the client’s needs and supported their ability to internalize coping skills. The relief was visible, if not obvious. The burden they brought with them shed significant weight by being lighter, abruptly terminating further therapy sessions. Sometimes, it was satisfactory. In the same vein, however, it left the therapist with more questions than answers.

In my view, this trend likely stems from the financial burden of maintaining weekly therapy sessions. At times, clients may simply prefer having someone who understands their struggles and can offer ad hoc support during the darkest moments of their lives. Alternatively, the therapist, often a perceived ‘stranger’ offers a non judgmental and objective ear. Once the client experiences even a small measure of relief, they tend to move on, returning only when another crisis arises.

Noticeably, in recent years, there has been a paradigm shift. A novel type of clientele has emerged! One who is knowledgeable, motivated, deliberate, and curious. They not only want full involvement in the selection of the health professionals in therapy but also want full involvement in the decision making process regarding their prognosis and well being.

These clients are not keen on a quick fix reprieve for the crisis at hand; they yearn for more. For instance, they ask questions about the assessment process and how it was arrived at, sustainability, and the duration of the therapy. In addition to this, they are particularly focused on long term growth.

This clientele prioritizes mutual understanding and connection. They clutch on to the fact that therapy is not just about healing what is broken but about nurturing what can flourish. It is almost as if, before the session begins, the client is interviewing the therapist to ensure that they fit the criteria for their healing journey. They are not longing for a placebo effect but a lasting solution. Ultimately, this reflects a meaningful and healthy move away from the outdated idea that the healer’s perspective is always right, regardless.

This new approach challenges an old myth that when therapy is going well, it should end. To put it into context, just as one is advised by a physician not to abandon treatment for diabetes or high blood pressure after a few good days, therapy, too, does benefit from continuity. A doctor may begin with weekly visits, later shifting to monthly check ins to ensure the medication is still effective. Therapy ought to embrace the same approach.

In our culture, therapy is evolving to work in much the same way akin to medicinal treatment. After four weeks of consistent sessions of insight work, one is adaptable to learning new skills to enhance the quality of life. This leads to a deeper reflection on establishing a response to situations rather than reacting to them. As a consequence, the rhythm may change. Thereafter, one develops confidence with the process of applying life skills.

Some individuals may opt for sessions fortnightly, then move to every three weeks, and sometimes back again to weekly when life demands it. Of importance is the continued therapy sessions with the goal of recovery and sustainability. This gentle adjustment, and I must quickly add that it is not cast in stone, is what we call a booster session. It is a scheduled follow-up after the main phase of therapy has come to an end. Its purpose is to reinforce coping skills, revisit progress, and prevent relapse. Just as a vaccine booster strengthens immunity, a booster therapy session nourishes resilience and helps keep healing alive.

Booster therapy has the potential to avert dependency on the therapist. However, this must not be used as a blanket application to assume that everyone must strive to obtain booster sessions. It is not applicable to all and sundry simply because one subscribed to therapy. Boosters build a sustainable habit of checking in even when the storm has passed. Healing is not only about putting out fires. It is concerned with tending the soil so that new growth isn’t choked by weeds.

The assumption that therapy MUST always be weekly is no longer sufficient. Life vagaries are more complex than that. Some clients already carry insight and motivation. All they need is structured support to refine their coping skills and resist falling back into old, unhealthy patterns. Gone are the days when therapy relied heavily on a single school of thought, like psychoanalysis, to solve all human problems. We now live in a time where therapies have advanced. For instance, newer approaches to therapy like third-wave approaches emphasize on inoculated mindfulness, acceptance, and resilience.

Due to this new era, therapy has become a journey of teamwork. The therapist does not dictate but collaborates with the client and other relevant parties. The client is no longer a passive receiver but an active partner. And so, the age of booster therapy reminds us of the adage: healing is not only for crisis. Healing thrives in the gentle check ins, the honest conversations, and the steady commitment to keep moving forward. As a community, we are encouraged to embrace the shift to booster sessions.

As mental health care professionals, we are called upon to shift into a fast-paced, dynamic community where people can heal together, learn together, and walk together. After all, healing does not end with crisis; it flourishes in continuity.

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Author: cbtkeadmin

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