How Should You Feel After a Therapy Session? Signs that It's Working

Imagine this: You’ve spent the past hour talking your heart out to your therapist in Australia. You’ve just ended the call and closed your laptop. How do you feel?

The answer to this question varies among people and even across sessions for the same person. 
While you may feel lighter, clearer, and relieved after some sessions, others may leave you feeling heavy, confused, numb or tired. 

If you’re new to therapy in Australia, you might wonder, ‘So which is the right feeling? How should I actually feel?’

We’re here to tell you that no feeling is better or worse than the other. And each one is crucial to long-term progress. The headspace you are in after sessions depends on various factors, including what you discuss, the emotions that come up, and how you were feeling before the session.

In this article, we explore some common emotional states people experience after therapy sessions, whether they are normal and how to tell if therapy is working. We wrap up with a quick guide on post-therapy care, which can be especially helpful after deep and heavy sessions.

How Do People Usually Feel After Therapy?

1) Feeling emotional after therapy

You might leave a session feeling tearful, raw, or feeling emotionally open. Sometimes the emotions can even come as a surprise, especially if the session did not feel particularly intense while it was happening.

This often happens when you:

• Talk about something you have been holding in for a long time
• Allow yourself to feel instead of staying in your head
• Touch on memories or experiences you usually avoid

What this can mean:

Feeling emotional after therapy in Australia often means something important was addressed. Please remember that it does not mean you are getting worse. It usually means that you finally felt safe enough to open up about something, and progress is on the horizon.

Here's a helpful tip:

Try not to rush into fixing or analysing the feeling. Let it be there by simply sitting with it. Some activities that can help settle the emotions naturally include journalling, a quiet walk, and a short rest.

2) Feeling clearer, lighter or relieved

Some sessions leave you feeling calmer, more grounded, and mentally clearer. You might even feel like a weight has been lifted or like something finally makes sense.

This can happen when:

• You gain a new perspective
• You feel deeply understood or validated
• You put words to something that had been confusing you
• You worked out a clear action plan or strategy

What this can mean:

Relief often comes from being heard and making sense of your inner experiences. These sessions can feel encouraging and help you trust the therapy process more.

Here's an important reminder:

It’s crucial to remember that not every session will feel this way. A session that feels heavy or uncomfortable can be just as meaningful in the long run.

3) Feeling confused or unsettled

At times, therapy sessions leave you with more questions than answers. You may feel mentally stirred up, unsure, or slightly off balance after a session.

This often happens when:

• Long-held beliefs are challenged
• You realise something about yourself that feels hard to sit with
• You may be addressing any complex issues during sessions

Why this is normal:

Did you know that confusion is often a huge part of growth? Contrary to popular opinion, clarity doesn’t come about immediately. When we move from old ways of thinking to new ones, it can feel uncomfortable before becoming clearer.

Here's a helpful reframe:

Instead of expecting instant clarity, try to think of this phase as gradual growth before clarity. Things usually begin to settle with time, effort and reflection.

4) Feeling numb or blank

While not everyone feels clear after therapy, some may not feel anything at all. Feel quiet, flat, zoned out and mentally disconnected after sessions is also completely normal.

This can happen when:

• The session touched on something overwhelming
• Your nervous system is trying to protect you
• You are still learning how to access emotions safely
• Too many emotions came up during the session

What this does not mean:

Feeling numb does not mean therapy is failing. For many of us, numbness is a coping response that we turn to when things get too overwhelming. However, with time, it can turn into trust and opening up.

Here's a helpful tip:

Avoid forcing yourself to feel something. Instead, focus on grounding yourself through rest, nourishment, and simple routines.

5) Feeling tired after a therapy session

Feeling drained or exhausted after therapy is very common, especially after sessions that involve deep emotional work.

Therapy can be tiring because:

• Deep therapy sessions take up a lot of energy
• You may be regulating strong feelings during the session
• Your body may have released stored tension
• You had a long day before the session
• You have a tight schedule planned for after the session

What this can mean:

Feeling tired after a therapy session often suggests that meaningful inner work is happening. 

Practical tip:

If you can, try to avoid planning demanding tasks right after therapy sessions. Treat sessions like emotional workouts and give yourself some time to reflect and recover.

Is It Normal to Feel Heavy After Therapy?

Yes, it is completely normal!

Feeling heavy, low, or weighed down after therapy does not mean the session went badly. It often means you opened up emotionally or touched on something painful or unresolved.

In many cases, this heaviness softens as you process what came up during the session, either through reflection, rest, or in the days that follow.

That said, if you notice that you are consistently feeling heavy, distressed, or emotionally worse after most sessions, or if you feel stuck and unsure whether you are making progress over time, it may be helpful to open up to your therapist about this.

This kind of honest conversation is a healthy part of therapy and your relationship with your Australian therapist. It can open the door to:

• Adjusting the pace of sessions
• Exploring what feels overwhelming or unhelpful
• Clarifying goals and expectations
• Understanding whether a different approach might suit you better

If you're new to therapy in Australia, read our: A Comprehensive Guide to Starting Therapy

Signs that Show Therapy Is Working 

• You’re more aware of your patterns
• You’re feeling emotions instead of avoiding them
• Your reactions are slowing down
• You’re thinking differently about yourself
• You’re setting small boundaries
• You’re using tools outside of sessions
• You’re reflecting between sessions
• You feel safe being honest in therapy

How to Take Care of Yourself After Therapy Sessions

Self-care is a crucial part of the therapy process. 

Similar to how you prepare before sessions, here are a few ways to support yourself after sessions:

• Leave some buffer time after sessions if possible
• Drink water and eat something nourishing
• Journal or voice-record your thoughts while they are fresh
• Do something grounding like walking, stretching, or deep breathing
• Avoid making big decisions immediately after emotional sessions

Most importantly, remember to be kind and patient with yourself throughout the process.  

Key Takeaways

Healing does not always feel good in the moment. Discomfort can be part of growth. But therapy should still feel supportive, safe, and collaborative over time.

Below are some key takeaways from our blog:

• There is no single answer to how you should feel after a therapy session

• Feeling emotional, tired, confused, or even numb after therapy can all be normal

• Immediate feelings do not reflect long-term progress

• Signs that therapy is working often show up gradually in daily life

• Taking care of yourself after sessions helps process emotions and maintain progress