What Is Visualization In Therapy? Visualization Tools To Improve Your Daily Life

You may have heard about visualization in a psychology course, a therapy session, or from a sports coach, among other sources. In both therapeutic and everyday contexts, visualization is an increasingly common technique, thanks to its science-backed effectiveness and relative simplicity. 

Visualization techniques come in many forms, but the singular concept of visualization often refers to the process of creating a visual image in one’s mind, according to the American Psychological Association (APA). 

Therapists can use a variety of visualization tools to reduce clients’ stress and anxiety, while empowering them to transform past and current challenges into opportunities to heal, self-discover, and move forward. In this article, we’ll discuss the role of visualization in therapy, followed by a discussion of four strategies that can use the power of mental imagery to improve your daily life. 

The role of visualization in therapy

Over time, the goal of visualization – which can also be called imagery – may be to reduce pain, anxiety, and other symptoms associated with a specific memory or mental health condition. Research shows that visualization techniques can offer several therapeutic benefits, including: 

• Symptom management for anxiety and depression
• Physical pain reduction
• Reduced blood pressure
• Overall, a greater sense of control and well-being, both physically and emotionally

In a 2021 study, researchers studied the effects of progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, and guided imagery training, delivered in 20-minute sessions. After completing one of these training sessions, participants were significantly more relaxed, evidenced by their reduced heart rates and other physiological indicators as well as their questionnaire responses. 

Although further research is still needed, other studies similarly show the value of visualization to manage daily stress, achieve goals, and manage the symptoms of specific mental health conditions. 

Using visualization to improve the symptoms of mental health conditions 

Visualization can benefit people of all ages and life circumstances, including those managing specific mental health conditions. Based on current research, imagery may be an especially powerful technique for people diagnosed with the following conditions: 

• Substance use disorder and addiction
• Anxiety disorders
• Depression
• Post-traumatic stress disorder 

While you may find relief in receiving a diagnosis, the process of recovering from any mental health condition can feel scary and overwhelming. Depending on your diagnosis and other symptoms, a therapist can work with you to alleviate these fears and develop your personal “toolkit” of visualization exercises. These exercises can help you to find a safe space to explore your inner space and psyche while empowering you to improve your everyday life.

Visualization exercises to improve your everyday life

If you feel bewildered or overwhelmed by a recent diagnosis, the following four exercises are designed to help ease the transition into your enlightened understanding of your authentic self and at your own pace and comfort level. 

You can adapt these techniques to your schedule and personal preferences. They are meant to be malleable to your unique self. Feel free to explore creativity in the way you define and apply visualization to your life.

1. Progressive muscle relaxation

You may notice that your body is especially tense or sore when you are stressed, anxious, or working through other difficult emotions. Often, we do not recognize that we are holding this tension until a headache or tight neck and shoulders creep in. During these times, progressive muscle relaxation can be an especially useful tool. The basis of this practice involves actively engaging muscles to create tension followed by the goal of a complete release of this tension. 

To experience the benefits of progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), all you need is a quiet place and your own body. By visualizing a journey through each area of the body, tensing one muscle group at a time, and then releasing the tension, PMR can promote a contrasting state of relaxation. 

Some people practice PMR with their therapists or with a trusted loved one, but there are numerous PMR transcripts and audio recordings available online if you’d prefer to try the exercise alone. Consider being especially vigilant of any physical injuries you currently have when working through progressive muscle relaxation. Lastly, it may be helpful to give yourself time to learn how to completely relax your muscles and mind. Through this practice, you may find with time you are more capable of identifying stress and its effects while responding with focus and controlled muscle relaxation. 

2. Deep breathing with visualization

While visualization is typically distinguished from deep breathing, these techniques can be paired for added benefit. By imagining yourself in a peaceful setting and taking deep breaths in a consistent manner, you can learn to calm your mind and body while directing your focus – and energy – toward positive images and feelings. 

What does this pairing look like in practice? There are many ways to integrate visualization with deep breathing, depending on how much time or energy you have available. Some possibilities include: 

• In a quiet place, you can sit or lie down in a comfortable position and begin by breathing deeply into your abdomen. As you slowly exhale, you can visualize the stress leaving your body with as much detail as possible. Perhaps you assign a color or symbol to your stress and imagine pain and other difficult emotions exiting your body with each breath.
• With each breath in and out, you might imagine your heart filling up with positivity and health. These imaginings may include happiness, safety, health, peace, and anything else in your heart and mind that brings you to a state of calm or joy. 
• You could reach a relaxed state using the deep breathing exercise of your choice. Then, you might focus on a specific goal – this could be related to personal growth, your career, or overall health and healing – and allow your mind to generate images associated with these goals. You can see where your mind takes you and take note of any new insights, ideas, or sources of inspiration.

Especially when paired with mental imagery, deep breathing techniques can be flexible and simple. Whether you are commuting to work or preparing for an important meeting or event, devoting a few minutes to this practice can offer you the time to slow down, check in with your breath, and relax your body. 

3. Guided imagery

Like deep breathing, guided imagery can take many forms depending on your current needs and goals. You can use guided imagery any time, in almost any setting, to settle your mind and body.

Typically, guided imagery involves sitting or lying down in a quiet space and imagining yourself in your favorite place or a peaceful environment. This could be the beach, a nearby park, a forest, or another calm, quiet setting from your personal life or imagination. Although guided imagery is often led by a therapist or another practitioner, some people prefer to guide themselves through their own internal world or narrative. 

Some people simply imagine their favorite or “happy” place and gradually add more details, including what they hear, feel, see, and smell. By regularly guiding yourself through this place, you can make a daily or weekly habit of returning whenever you need to relax or recalibrate.

Other people may prefer to do guided imagery with their therapist or the guidance of an audio recording. Regardless of your preference, any form of guided imagery can ease daily stress, improve sleep quality, and reduce depression and stress over time. 

4. Palming

This visualization often involves imagining color while placing the palms of your hands over your eyes. Both real and imagined, color can have a near-immediate impact on our moods and energy levels. The simple exercise of palming can depend on common associations between colors and emotions. For example, when asked to visualize a color associated with stress, many people will choose red or a similarly intense shade.

Using this pairing as an example, you can place your palms over your eyes and picture red or another color you associate with stress. Then, you can mentally switch to a relaxing, calming color: this might be sky-blue, the purple you saw in yesterday’s sunset, or the color of your partner’s favorite shirt. 

In addition to relaxation, palming may also promote deeper sleep, heightened awareness, and enhanced memory and imagination. You can easily use this exercise throughout the day to reduce eye strain or refocus, particularly if you are spending several hours at a desk or in front of a screen.

Using visualization in online therapy

Visualization is a common practice in several forms of therapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy and regression therapy. As a relatively simple and convenient technique for relaxation, visualization can be adapted to suit your needs and goals for therapy, whether you meet with a therapist online or in-person.

Some people prefer to try guided imagery and other forms of visualization with an in-person therapist, but more patients are using online therapy to learn about these strategies and enrich their daily lives. Using a digital platform like BetterHelp, you can match with a therapist who may use a combination of imagery, deep breathing exercises, and other tools to guide their patients forward. Working through visualization and similar techniques in online therapy may make you feel more relaxed, as exercises can be done from the comfort of your own home.

Several studies indicate the value and promise of online therapies, including a 2018 pilot study of an online imagery-based treatment program for work-related post-traumatic stress disorder. This four-week online program consisted of eight 15-minute sessions with script-guided imagery and supportive music. Based on input from 35 patients, the researchers observed significant improvements in their depressed mood, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms, as well as a greater degree of relief among those with adverse childhood experiences. These results indicate the power of a relatively short online therapy to treat persistent PTSD symptoms and related concerns.