Individuals diagnosed with substance use disorder (SUD) and co-occurring mental health issues benefit from integrative care and tailored treatment programs. Driftwood Recovery uses various therapeutic modalities to help clients heal from the damaging effects of substance abuse. Experiential therapy is one of the methods used to help clients process trauma and other issues impacting their mental health.
What Is Experiential Therapy?
Experiential therapy is an approach to psychotherapy that utilizes hands-on tools and activities to help clients gain self-awareness and learn more effective ways to manage their condition. Driftwood Recovery offers multiple types of experiential therapy to meet the needs of individuals in treatment.
A few popular forms of experiential therapy include:
- Equine therapy
- Adventure therapy
- Play therapy
- Drama therapy
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
According to the Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment, “In experiential psychotherapy, meaning is [. . .] derived through the integration of sensory awareness into cognitive process.” Through new experiences and physical exercises, clients increase body awareness and analyze internal experiences from a new perspective.
How Experiential Therapy Supports Recovery
Experiential therapy addresses symptoms of substance use disorder through positive experiences. Therapy sessions use various methods to strengthen the mind-body connection, increase self-awareness, and build essential skills for regulating emotions. Clients use the skills and therapeutic tools taught in experiential therapy to gain a greater understanding of their condition and heal from the effects of chronic substance abuse.
Integrating Experiential Therapy With Traditional Methods
Addressing mental health and addiction together improves the effectiveness of treatment by providing clients with the support they need to move forward in their recovery. Clinicians often use experiential therapy alongside other modalities, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). Combining traditional talk therapies with experiential therapies provides clients with additional support and skill development.
Experiential Therapy for Dual Diagnosis
Experiential therapy can treat dual diagnoses by giving clients the tools to identify and replace maladaptive thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors. Clinicians use experiential therapies, including group and individual activities, to show clients how to effectively manage stress and regulate emotions. Mental health disorders have many potential causes and risk factors. Experiential therapies relieve some mental health symptoms and help clients develop healthier coping mechanisms.
Alternative therapies allow clients to expand their perspectives and experience new ways of exploring self-expression. Experiential therapies use individual activities and peer engagement to provide clients with learning moments where they gain the knowledge and skills to manage dual diagnosis.
Types of Experiential Therapies at Driftwood Recovery
Driftwood Recovery offers many different types of experiential therapies to clients. Creative activities build resilience, focus, and motivation for ongoing recovery. Clinicians create tailored treatment plans to ensure clients can access therapies that suit their unique needs. For example, individuals with unhealthy family dynamics may benefit from experiential family therapy. Role-playing and other activities help families heal and grow together.
Overcoming Challenges in Addiction Recovery
Everyone encounters challenges during treatment and ongoing recovery. Some individuals benefit from using experiential therapy to identify and process issues affecting sobriety or mental health. Experiential therapies enhance emotion regulation and provide clients with additional coping skills for managing their condition.
A few of the ways experiential therapies help clients overcome setbacks in early recovery include:
- Providing a safe outlet for self-expression
- Encouraging trust and vulnerability
- Exploring values, core beliefs, and self-identity
- Learning hands-on skills for managing stress and regulating emotions
- Improving the mind-body connection
- Overcoming fears and resistance to change
- Breaking through denial to confront the realities of addiction
- Increasing self-esteem and creating a sense of accomplishment
- Developing healthy outlets for stress relief
- Strengthening social connections
Experiential therapy benefits clients with dual diagnoses or complex symptoms. Gaining self-confidence and learning to use creative problem-solving to address the symptoms and side effects of SUD or mental health disorders can help people heal more quickly.
The Benefits of Experiential Therapy
Some people learn better with hands-on activities. Incorporating therapeutic exercises into controlled individual or group activities helps clients quickly grasp essential concepts. Practicing teamwork and communication skills also builds trust and prepares clients to navigate ongoing recovery.
A few of the primary benefits of experiential therapies include:
- Learning to communicate more openly
- Conflict resolution and social skills
- Processing past traumas
Gaining motivation, inspiration, and essential insights from group or individual activities helps clients find deeper meaning in their lives and learn more effective ways to heal and grow. Treatment programs use experiential therapies to help clients apply the skills they learn in real-world situations.
Improving Quality of Life During Recovery
Many individuals with substance use disorder report reduced quality of life (QOL). Addressing the effects of chronic substance abuse through evidence-based and alternative holistic therapies provides clients with the tools and resources they need to manage their condition. According to the Journal of Clinical Medicine, research studies have consistently confirmed “improved QOL following engagement with treatment for SUD.” Driftwood Recovery understands the importance of ensuring clients discover healthy ways of managing their condition.
Peer support and family engagement in experiential therapies provide essential motivation to continue healing and growing. Many people find group activities helpful in addressing issues that may interfere with their ability to build healthy social connections. Individual experiential therapy sessions are also an excellent way to explore self-expression and reprocess trauma or other underlying causes of addictive behaviors.
Driftwood Recovery uses experiential therapies and other services to help clients build the foundation for a healthier, more fulfilling future. To learn about our programs and how we can help you regain control of your life, contact us today by calling (512) 759-8330.
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