Can You Do Therapy on Your Lunch Break? Yes—Here's How
By Jessica Oliver (formerly Tappana), LCSW | Aspire Counseling
Jessica Oliver is the founder and Clinical Director of Aspire Counseling, a trauma and anxiety therapy practice with offices in Lee's Summit and Columbia, Missouri. She specializes in EMDR, CPT, and trauma therapy intensives.
One of the most common reasons people put off starting therapy is time. Between work, commutes, family, and everything else, adding one more appointment to your week can feel impossible.
But here's something many of our clients have figured out: you can do therapy on your lunch break.
It's one of the most practical ways to make therapy a consistent part of your life. You don't have to take time off work. You don't have to rearrange your whole schedule. You just use part of a break you're already taking.
At Aspire Counseling, many of our clients do exactly this. Some meet with their therapist online. Some come to our Lee's Summit office or our Columbia counseling office. Either way, it works.
Why Do So Many People Schedule Therapy During Lunch?
Lunch hour therapy is popular because it removes one of the biggest barriers to getting help: finding time in an already packed day. A 45-minute counseling session fits neatly into a typical lunch break. You don't need to leave work early, come in late, or use PTO.
For busy professionals in the Kansas City metro area, this can be a relief. You're already at work. You already have a lunch break. You're just using that time differently.
Many of our clients also tell us that a therapy session in the middle of the day feels like a welcome reset. Instead of scrolling your phone or eating at your desk while answering emails, you spend 45 minutes focused entirely on yourself. That can actually make the second half of your workday feel more manageable.
If you've been thinking about starting therapy but keep putting it off because of scheduling, this might be the approach that finally makes it work.
Where Can You Take a Lunch Hour Therapy Session?
You have more options than you might think. Our clients take lunch hour sessions from all sorts of places. Here are the most common setups we see.
At home (if you work remotely). If you work from home, this is the easiest option. You can log into your session from a private room, have your therapy appointment, and then get back to work. No commute needed at all.
From your office (with the door closed). Many of our clients who work in an office with a private space take sessions right from their desk or a conference room. The key is making sure you won't be disturbed. Lock the door if you can. Put a "do not disturb" sign up. Let your assistant or close colleague know you're unavailable for that block of time.
From your car. This one surprises people, but it's actually very common. Your car can be a private, quiet space where no one will overhear you. One tip I always give: drive to a nearby parking lot away from your workplace so you don't have coworkers walking past your window during your session. A shopping center lot, a park, or a quiet side street a few minutes away from the office works well.
In our office. If you work near our Lee's Summit location, you can come in for an in-person session during your lunch break. Some clients prefer this because it gets them out of their work environment entirely. The drive to and from the office also creates natural transition time before and after the session.
For a deeper look at how online therapy works, including who it's best for and what to expect, our online therapy page walks through the details. We use HIPAA-compliant platforms to keep every session private and secure—even if you're logging in from a work computer.
Do You Need to Take Time Off Work for Therapy?
In most cases, no. That's one of the biggest advantages of scheduling therapy during your lunch break. A typical session at Aspire Counseling lasts about 45 minutes. If you have a standard lunch hour, that leaves you a few minutes on either side to settle in and wrap up.
This is one of the reasons online therapy has become so popular. There's no commute to a therapist's office. You just open your laptop or phone, log in, and you're in session.
If you're someone who can take a slightly longer lunch, even better. I recommend trying to take about an hour and fifteen minutes when possible. That gives you time for the session itself, plus a little transition time before you jump back into work mode. It also gives you a few minutes to eat something you've packed.
But even if you only have a standard hour, lunch break therapy can absolutely work.
Should You Tell Your Therapist You're Going Back to Work Right After?
Yes, and this is an important piece. Let your therapist know that you're heading straight back to work after your session. It helps us plan.
When I know a client is returning to work immediately after our appointment, I pay extra attention to pacing. I make sure we leave enough time at the end of the session to help you feel grounded and ready to step back into your day. That might mean we spend a few minutes at the end doing a brief grounding exercise or simply slowing the conversation down so you're not walking back to your desk still processing something heavy.
This doesn't mean we avoid doing meaningful work during lunch hour sessions. We absolutely still dig into the things that matter. It just means we're thoughtful about wrapping up in a way that doesn't leave you feeling shaky or overwhelmed when you return to your afternoon.
Your therapist can adapt. But they need to know the context in order to do that well.
What's the Biggest Downside of Lunch Hour Therapy?
The main challenge is transition time—or rather, the lack of it. After a therapy session, it's normal to need a few minutes to shift gears. You've just spent 45 minutes focused on some of the most personal parts of your life. Jumping straight into a meeting or a project can feel jarring.
For clients who come to the office in person, the drive back to work creates a natural buffer. You have a few minutes in the car to take some deep breaths, listen to a song, or just sit quietly before walking back in.
For clients doing virtual sessions, that transition can be trickier. Your session ends, and your work is right there on the same screen. There's no built-in break.
That's why I encourage the hour-and-fifteen-minute lunch when you can swing it. Even an extra ten or fifteen minutes after your session can make a big difference. Take a short walk. Step outside for some fresh air. Eat a snack. Let your nervous system settle before you switch back into work mode.
If you can only take a standard hour, that's still okay. Just be aware that some sessions may feel more emotionally activating than others. On those days, it's helpful to have a plan—like keeping a grounding playlist on your phone or having a go-to breathing exercise you can do in two minutes.
For anyone interested in how walking can support the therapeutic process, walk and talk therapy is another option some of our clients love—especially if you have a park or quiet outdoor area near your workplace.
Can You Eat During a Therapy Session?
I'm almost always fine with clients eating during our sessions. Please don't skip meals to make therapy work. Eating is basic self-care. If you're squeezing therapy into your lunch break, the last thing I want is for you to go hungry the rest of the afternoon.
Pack a lunch you can eat easily—a wrap, a salad, some leftovers. Most of the time, eating during a session doesn't interfere with the work at all.
There are a few situations where it gets a little trickier. If we're doing EMDR processing, for example, that involves bilateral stimulation and a level of focused attention that can be harder to maintain while eating. But even then, if I know ahead of time that you eat during our sessions, I can plan around it. We might save the processing portion for when you're done eating, or structure the session so the first part is more conversational while you have your lunch.
This is actually something we've thought a lot about at Aspire Counseling. Over the years, enough clients told us they'd forgotten to pack a lunch or ran out of time to eat that we started stocking our offices with a real variety of snacks. If you come in for an in-person lunch hour session and realize you didn't bring food, you can grab a few things on your way out so you're not running on empty all afternoon.
The bottom line: therapy should never come at the expense of food. We can make it work.
Is Online Therapy Effective Enough for a Shorter Session Window?
Absolutely. Research consistently shows that online therapy is just as effective as in-person therapy for treating anxiety, depression, trauma, and many other concerns. At Aspire Counseling, we've seen this firsthand across hundreds of clients.
The session length doesn't change based on whether you're online or in person. A 45-minute virtual session covers the same ground as a 45-minute office visit. The only difference is the delivery method.
In fact, there are some unique advantages to online sessions during a lunch break. If you're working on anxiety management, your therapist can help you practice coping skills right in the environment where you actually experience stress. That's something that's harder to replicate in a traditional office setting.
For clients working on OCD treatment with ERP, virtual sessions can be especially powerful. Your therapist can guide you through exposure exercises in your real-life environment, which often leads to faster progress.
If you're still unsure whether online sessions are right for you, we wrote about who online therapy works best for—and when in-person might be a better fit.
What If You Have a Particularly Hard Session?
This is a valid concern, and it's worth thinking about ahead of time. Some therapy sessions are heavier than others. If you're working through trauma or grief, there may be days when you feel more emotional than usual afterward.
Here are a few things that can help:
Keep a small self-care kit at your desk. A bottle of water, a comforting snack, hand lotion with a scent you like, or headphones for a quick calming playlist can all help you transition.
Have a simple task ready for right after your session. Something routine and low-stakes—like organizing your inbox or reviewing notes—can help your brain shift gears without demanding too much.
Talk to your therapist about pacing. If you know a particular session topic is going to be intense, your therapist can help you plan for that. Maybe you do the heavier processing on a day when you have a lighter afternoon schedule, and save lunch hour sessions for skills work or check-ins.
At Aspire Counseling, we use evidence-based approaches like EMDR, CPT, IFS, and DBT that are structured and goal-oriented. That means your therapist isn't just opening up hard topics without a plan for helping you manage them. We always have a purpose and a direction.
How Do You Get Started with Lunch Hour Therapy in Missouri?
Starting is simpler than you might expect. Here's what to do:
Reach out to our team by calling (816) 287-1116 for our Lee's Summit office or (573) 328-2288 for our Columbia office. You can also request an appointment online.
Our Client Care team will ask a few questions about what you're looking for and match you with a therapist who fits your needs, schedule, and personality. We take this matching process seriously because the relationship between you and your therapist is one of the most important factors in whether therapy actually works.
Every new client starts with a free 30-minute consultation. This gives you a chance to talk to your therapist, ask questions, and decide if it feels like a good fit—no pressure, no commitment.
When you schedule, just let us know you'd like to meet during your lunch hour. We'll work with you to find a time that fits.
We see clients in person at our Lee's Summit and Columbia offices and offer online therapy throughout Missouri. Whether you live in Blue Springs, Raymore, Independence, or anywhere else in the state, we can help.
If you've been thinking about therapy but haven't started because of your schedule, this might be the workaround you've been looking for. You deserve support that fits into your actual life—not a life you'd have to rearrange to get help.
No pressure, no judgment—just compassionate support when you're ready.
About the Author
Jessica Oliver (formerly Jessica Tappana), LCSW, is the founder and Clinical Director of Aspire Counseling. She specializes in trauma therapy and anxiety treatment using EMDR, CPT, and trauma therapy intensives.
Clients have been using their lunch hours to attend therapy at Aspire Counseling since Jessica first opened the practice in 2017. Some drive to the office for in-person sessions. Others log on from their home, office, or car. Over the years, Jessica noticed something: clients who squeezed therapy into their lunch break sometimes forgot to pack a meal—or simply ran out of time to eat. More than a few admitted they were skipping lunch entirely to make their appointments work.
That's actually why Aspire Counseling's offices always have multiple snack options available. What started as a small bowl of granola bars turned into a purposeful variety of snacks so that clients who needed to grab a few things on the way out could piece together an emergency meal. Because therapy should never come at the cost of taking care of your basic needs.
Jessica sees clients online throughout Missouri and at the Lee's Summit office. When she's not in session, she's leading her team of therapists, attending specialized trainings, or traveling with her family.
About Aspire Counseling
Aspire Counseling provides specialized therapy for anxiety, trauma, OCD, and depression at our offices in Lee's Summit and Columbia, Missouri, as well as online throughout the state. Our therapists are trained in evidence-based approaches including EMDR, CPT, ERP, IFS, and DBT. We offer free 30-minute consultations to help you find the right therapist. Call (816) 287-1116 or reach out online to get started.
