Experiential Therapy for Addiction
What is Experiential Therapy for Addiction?
If you asked someone to name the different types of therapy they have heard of, experiential therapy for addiction is probably not going to be one of them. But this non-traditional type of therapy is a quickly growing option for evidence-based addiction treatment. Experiential therapy for addiction uses physical hands-on experiences to help clients open to their therapists.
This type of therapy can include many different types of activities. At Resurgence Behavioral Health, we are excited to offer this modern rehab opportunity to our clients. Along with our other comprehensive treatments, such as those at alcohol rehabs Los Angeles, experiential therapy is a holistic approach we believe in. Let us help you learn more about experiential therapy, as well as how it can help clients overcome their addiction.
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Who Can Experiential Therapy Help?
Most people that are struggling with drug addiction have negative emotions, behaviors, and experiences that either led to their drug addiction or were caused by it. These emotions are often difficult for a user to talk about. Some may cause shame, fear, or embarrassment. For compassionate and effective assistance in addressing these challenges, visit alcohol rehab treatment Riverside.
Some may be so deeply hidden that they are not even fully aware of them. And if you cannot talk about or remember all these emotions or experiences, it can be difficult to find help from traditional therapy methods. This is when experiential therapy for addiction can be a great alternative to other evidence-based addiction treatments.
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Understanding Experiential Therapy for Addiction
Experiential therapy for addiction focuses on getting clients and therapists out of a traditional office setting. Sessions can occur anywhere, from an art studio to the great outdoors. This type of therapy focuses on allowing clients to participate in an activity of their choosing, such as hiking, art, or other hands-on experiences, which helps clients interact with their therapists in a more natural way. If you’re considering experiential therapy as part of your addiction treatment, alcohol rehabs in Los Angeles offer a range of therapeutic options to support your recovery journey.
It gives clients a chance to either try something new or have a chance to do something they used to love and build confidence in themselves and their ability to lead a normal life once again. Because your therapist does these activities alongside you, it gives you the opportunity to build a better relationship with them.
The activity helps distract you and make you feel more comfortable opening about your issues. It also helps you to sort through negative feelings that you have, understand them, and be able to move on from them.
Is It Effective for Treating Drug Addiction?
While experiential therapy for addiction may sound like a strange option, it has been found to be very effective. This is especially true for people in rehab trying to overcome their drug addiction. Experiential therapy helps clients understand why their experiences influence the way that they act, as well as why it makes them feel stuck in their addiction. Getting sober is a complex process, with issues like low self-esteem, sadness, frustration, and trauma making it difficult to kick a drug habit.
Repressed feelings or trauma can make this even more difficult. Experiential therapy helps to dig up all these issues so that the client and therapist can work together to deal with them. In being able to see their problems, clients are better able to see a path forward to a clean, drug-free life. This type of therapy is most effective when it is done in combination with other forms of treatment. For more insights and support, visit alcohol rehab treatment Palo Alto.
That is why going to a rehab center like Resurgence Behavioral Health is the best way to get the full benefits of experiential therapy. Our staff includes therapists who have been specially trained in experiential therapy, so they have the right knowledge and experience to make your therapy sessions as effective as possible
Mental Illness and Experiential Therapy
Many years of research has shown that drug addiction and mental illness go hand in hand. Some users may have had issues with mental illness prior to using drugs. Others may have found that drugs led to mental health issues or made them much worse.
Experiential therapy is an evidence-based addiction treatment shown to help treat the mental health problems that drug users suffer from. Some of the mental health issues that experiential therapy has been shown to help are:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Treating mental health issues while treating drug addiction helps to reduce the stress that mental illness can cause. It also helps clients deal with or avoid the things that trigger their mental health symptoms. Both these things help to make it less likely that a client will experience a relapse after going to rehab.
What Activities Does Experiential Therapy Use?
As with any rehab program, experiential therapy for addiction does not use just one activity to try and treat all clients. There are different ways that therapists use this therapy to help their clients address their drug addiction. These options can include:
- Role-playing
- Working with horses
- Working with dogs
- Art therapy
- Play therapy
- Learning to play an instrument
- Singing
- Dancing
- Acting on stage
- Writing poetry or stories
- Going on adventures, such as rock climbing
- Spending time outdoors camping or hiking
Numerous different studies have been done on the effectiveness of experiential therapy. One found that having art and music therapy along with a more traditional rehab method helped clients lead to much more positive rehab outcomes.
Another found that working with horses helped raise a client’s chances of completing treatment by almost 50%. No matter what activity your experiential therapy sessions include you can be sure it will be one that you are comfortable with. Your therapist will never ask you to do something that you are not comfortable with. Instead, the point of this therapy is to either do something you used to love before you began using drugs, or something that you have always wanted to do.
The First Step in Your Recovery Process
Before you can try rock climbing or art therapy, the first part of your rehab journey will be to detox. Depending on what drugs you have been using, withdrawal symptoms can range from mild to severe. To get the full benefits of experiential therapy, you must first successfully detox. At Resurgence, we have many treatment options to help you through any kind of drug withdrawal symptoms.
This can include both medical and non-medical treatment. By lessening the symptoms of withdrawal, we can help you be more successful in your rehab journey. It also gives you peace of mind that, if anything should go wrong during your detox process, you will have the help of trained medical staff.
Free Insurance Verification for Rehab
Paying for Your Treatment
The first step in your journey to beating your addiction is simple: contact us. At Resurgence, we pride ourselves on building an affordable, personalized recovery plan for each client – without sacrificing quality. Our free insurance verification allows us to help you figure out exactly what your insurance will pay for.
We accept most PPO insurance as well as private forms of payment for treatment. We will also communicate with your insurance provider to ensure that you receive every benefit that you are entitled to. You can complete a simple form right from our website or call us directly. At Resurgence, we believe that environment is just as important as treatment.
That is why our locations are in peaceful neighborhoods, with plenty of open space for quiet and a sense of security. Our warm, sunny weather and proximity to beaches and parks mean that, when you are ready and able, you can enjoy being outside. And our specially prepared nutritious meals help to support your total physical recovery.
If you or a college student you know is using drugs, it is important to get professional help. Facing detox and rehab alone can be a scary and difficult process. Let us help arm you with all the tools and resources that you need to be successful in overcoming your addiction.
Call us today to get started on your road to a drug-free life.
