The Other 167 Hours:
The 45-minute therapy hour is powerful. It is a dedicated space, secure and focused, where we work together on the challenges you are facing. Whether you are coming from Lafayette for relationship issues, logging in from Indianapolis to work on stress, or connecting from Fort Wayne to get a handle on anger, that time is foundational. But what happens in the 167 hours after you log off?
Life does not pause. The triggers, the frustrations, and the patterns we discuss do not wait patiently for our next appointment. You might have that same circular argument with your partner. You might feel that familiar heat of anger rising when you are stuck in traffic on I-65. You might lie awake at 3 AM, your mind racing with anxious thoughts. This is where the real work of therapy often happens—not just in the talking, but in the doing.
Many people who seek online therapy in Indiana believe the change happens solely within the session. The reality is that our sessions are where we build the blueprint; the time between sessions is where you build the house. It is where you practice the new ways of thinking, reacting, and communicating that we explore together. Without tools to use in the moment, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and slip back into old habits, wondering if therapy is even working.
This is why I always emphasize the importance of “between-session work.” It is not homework, and it is not a test. It is a way to keep the momentum going. It is about building emotional muscle and resilience, so you are not just surviving the week, but actively applying what you are learning. It is the difference between knowing what to do and actually doing it when it counts. Over my 20 years of clinical experience, I have seen that the clients who make the most significant, lasting progress are the ones who find a way to integrate our work into their daily lives. And one of the most effective, simple, and accessible tools I recommend to help with this is the Headspace app.
What is Headspace and Why Do I Recommend It?
You have likely heard of it. Headspace is one of the most well-known mindfulness and meditation apps available. But it is more than just a trend. I recommend it specifically because it is practical, user-friendly, and grounded in solid principles. It is not about adopting a new religion or becoming a monk; it is about training your brain.
At its core, Headspace teaches mindfulness. Mindfulness is simply the practice of paying attention to the present moment on purpose, without judgment. It sounds incredibly simple, but it is a radical shift from how most of us operate. We live in our heads—ruminating about the past (“I can’t believe I said that”) or worrying about the future (“What if this happens?”). Mindfulness practice is like a mental push-up. It trains your ability to notice your thoughts and feelings without being completely controlled by them.
Why is this so important for my clients, whether they are struggling with stress, anger, or relationship conflict? Because change begins with awareness.
For clients dealing with anger, mindfulness creates a tiny, critical gap. It is the space between the trigger (your partner says something critical, someone cuts you off in traffic) and your reaction (yelling, shutting down, fuming). In that space, you find choice. You can notice the feeling of anger rising—the heat in your chest, the clenching in your jaw—and choose how to respond, rather than just reacting on autopilot.
For clients overwhelmed by stress and anxiety, mindfulness helps to unhook from spiraling thoughts. Instead of being swept away by a “what if” catastrophe, you can learn to acknowledge the anxious thought (“Ah, there’s that worry again”), let it be there without fighting it, and bring your attention back to the present (your breath, the feeling of your feet on the floor).
For couples, this skill is transformative. So many arguments escalate because both partners are reacting from a place of defensiveness and flooding. When you can each learn to manage your own internal state, to notice when you are getting triggered, you can stop arguments before they become destructive. You can choose to listen instead of just waiting to talk.
Headspace makes this practice accessible. It offers guided meditations as short as one or three minutes. You do not need to find an hour to sit on a cushion. You can do it in your car before walking into the office. You can do it at your desk when you feel overwhelmed. The app includes specific “SOS” sessions for acute moments of panic, anger, or stress. It also has entire courses on managing anxiety, sleep, focus, and—yes—anger and relationships. It demystifies meditation and makes it a practical tool for modern life, which is exactly what someone juggling work, family, and personal challenges in Indiana needs.
How I Have Seen This Tool Make a Real-World Difference
Theory is one thing; results are another. I want to share a few anonymized examples of how I have seen clients from my Indiana teletherapy practice use this tool to make concrete, powerful changes in their lives.
I suggested they each try a 5-minute Headspace meditation in their cars when they got home, before even walking into the house. The goal was to create a buffer between “work-mode” and “home-mode,” to shed some of the day’s stress instead of carrying it inside to dump on each other. The change was almost immediate. They started coming into the house calmer and more present. That dreaded dinner conversation became just… a conversation. That simple, individual practice of de-stressing gave them the mental space to be kinder to each other. It didn’t solve all their issues, but it stopped the daily bleeding and allowed us to work on the deeper relationship dynamics in our teletherapy sessions without the constant static of daily stress-fueled fights.
Integrating This Tool with Your Indiana Teletherapy
It is important to understand that an app like Headspace is not a replacement for therapy. You can’t an “app” your way out of deep-seated patterns or trauma. Therapy, even via teletherapy, provides something technology can’t: a human relationship built on trust, empathy, and trained clinical insight. It is a space to be truly seen and heard, to have your patterns reflected back to you, and to be guided through complex issues.
Where a tool like Headspace becomes so valuable is as a supplement. It is the “how” that supports the “what” and “why” we discuss in our sessions.
In my virtual practice, which serves adults all across Indiana, from St. John to Bloomington and everywhere in between, this combination is incredibly effective. A client and I might identify a specific anger trigger in our session. Their work between sessions is to use a mindfulness exercise when that trigger occurs. Then, in our next session, we don’t just talk about the trigger in theory. We talk about what actually happened when they used the tool. What did they notice? What was hard? What did they learn?
This creates a powerful feedback loop. Therapy provides the insights and strategy. The app provides a structured way to practice. The real-world application provides data. And we analyze that data together in the next session to refine the strategy. It accelerates progress.
This approach is perfect for the format of teletherapy. My practice is fully virtual, offering secure video counseling to any adult resident of Indiana. This convenience means you can access high-quality therapy from your home in Lafayette or your office in Indianapolis. Adding a digital tool like an app complements this perfectly. You have support right in your pocket. It aligns with a modern, practical, and solution-focused approach to mental health. Whether we are working on relationship stress, the philosophy of money and financial stress, or managing anger, the ability to regulate your own nervous system and be present is the foundation for all of it.
Beyond the App: Building a Full Toolkit
While I have focused on one specific app, the larger principle is about building a comprehensive toolkit for managing your mental and emotional health. An app is just one tool. Here are a few others that I often work on with clients:
Structured Journaling: This is not just a “dear diary” entry. It can be specific. For example, a “worry log” where you write down your anxious thoughts and set them aside for a specific “worry time” later. Or a “gratitude journal,” which has been shown to shift perspective. For couples, a shared journal for writing things they appreciate about each other can be a powerful connector.
Physical Movement: The connection between mind and body is undeniable. When you are stressed or angry, your body is flooded with cortisol and adrenaline. Physical exercise—even a 20-minute walk around your neighborhood in Muncie—is one of the fastest ways to metabolize those stress hormones and clear your mind. It is often the most under-utilized mental health tool we have.
Communication Formulas: For couples especially, having a structure for difficult conversations is key. We might practice “soft startups” (starting a complaint gently, without blame) or the “I statement” formula (I feel… when you… because I need…). These are tools, just like an app, that you practice and get better at using over time.
Your mental health is not something that is “fixed” in one hour a week. It is a continuous practice of awareness and action. The goal of our work together isn’t to have you in therapy forever; it is to equip you with the skills and insights you need to manage your own life and relationships with confidence.