Glossary
Plain-language definitions for the words that come up in the space between sessions. Written to be clear, and written to be quoted accurately.
- Afterglow is an informal term for a period some people describe after a meaningful session, when mood, openness, or a sense of connection feel lifted. People report that it can last from hours to a few weeks and that it fades at different rates. Experiences vary widely from person to person.
- Between-session support is the help a person has in the days between appointments, when much of the real change actually happens. It can include reflection prompts, check-ins, reminders, and connection to a care team. The idea is that care does not stop when the session ends.
- Dissociation is a sense of feeling detached from your body, your surroundings, or your sense of self. It exists on a spectrum, from mild daydreaming to stronger states that can arise during intense experiences. It is a described feature of some sessions and is a topic to discuss with your care team.
- Grounding is a set of simple practices that help you feel present and steady when emotions run high or you feel disconnected. Common examples include slow breathing, feeling your feet on the floor, or naming what you can see and hear. The goal is to bring attention back to the here and now.
- Integration is the work of making sense of a therapy session after it ends and carrying what you learned into daily life. It usually happens in the days and weeks that follow, through reflection, conversation, journaling, and small changes in habit. The session opens something up, and integration is how it becomes lasting.
- Intention setting is the practice of naming what you want to focus on before a session or a stretch of time. It gives your attention a direction and gives you something concrete to return to afterward. An intention is a focus, not a promise about the outcome.
- Mental readiness describes how prepared and steady a person feels to engage with the work of therapy or daily life on a given day. It is a felt sense that can shift with sleep, stress, mood, and support. Asendar™ turns this idea into a daily Mental Readiness Score so a person can notice patterns over time.
- Set and setting is a phrase for the two things that shape a therapy experience beyond the treatment itself: your mindset going in, and the physical and social environment around you. Mindset covers your mood, expectations, and intention. Setting covers the room, the people, and the sense of safety. Both are widely discussed as important context for care.
- Titration is a clinical concept that means adjusting something gradually and carefully over time, under professional guidance, rather than changing it all at once. As a general idea, it captures the value of small, measured steps. This page describes the concept only and is not guidance about any specific treatment.
- Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to change its connections in response to experience. A window of neuroplasticity refers to a period when the brain may be especially open to forming new patterns. It is often discussed as a reason the days after a session can be a useful time to practice new habits.