As self-help guru and motivational speaker Tony Robbins says, "Emotion is created by motion." That is why experiential therapy is an essential part of the treatment protocol embraced by addiction recovery programs. These hands-on, engaging activities offer those in treatment the experience of being in nature, expressing themselves through art, and interacting with others.

These models differ significantly from the images we often associate with therapy: the Freudian picture of a client on a couch with a practitioner diligently scribbling notes and offering an occasional nod.  Talk therapy, while beneficial, is only one part of the mental health services picture. Experiential therapies use “expressive tools” and techniques such as role-playing, guided imagery, and animal care to process presenting concerns while building internal resources to process trauma.

Experiential therapy is not just one form of therapeutic intervention but an array of experiences, including emotional processing, interactions with others, creativity, and reflections of events. In addition to traditional treatments, programs that feature art therapy, equine therapy, and movement therapies may best equip clients for recovery and personal growth.

Art Therapy

As an expression of our creativity, art takes place in many forms. Similarly, the possibilities within the world of art therapy feel just as endless.  

For some, the thought of talking about themselves is daunting—they have no idea where to begin. Because of difficult life circumstances, painful trauma, and upsetting memories, the process of traditional talk therapy may impede progress. Through art therapy, clinicians have the unique ability to harness the power of personal expression for healing and growth.

During treatment, art therapists present clients with various art forms to express their emotions and experiences through nonverbal means. Clients and therapists then work together to understand the potential meanings and the many layers of each client’s art, both hidden and overt. While the art itself can be subjective, art therapists use objective empirical techniques to interpret, ensuring that the client’s welfare and healing continue to be the highest priority in treatment. 

Art therapy is available as a mode of expression and healing tailored to the client’s needs and used in conjunction with other services when necessary. Art therapy techniques' versatility makes them an excellent option for clients who best communicate through expressive means.

Equine Therapy

As an alternative to written or drawn expressive therapies, animal-assisted therapies provide the opportunity to create relationships and nurturing through the care of animals. Equine therapy is one type of the many animal-assisted treatments available. 

In treatment with equine therapy, therapists use the bond between human and beast to explore clients’ presenting concerns while challenging their personal growth. Equine therapists have the unique capacity to understand and tune in to both the client and the horse. Therapists then use this understanding to help clients learn how to trust and nurture their relationship with the horse. This trust and nurturance challenge the client to confront their fears and acknowledge their needs for future growth.

Talk or group therapy can be paired with equine therapy's experiential nature to allow clients to process the changes they make in the course of treatment.  Attempting to impose your will on an animal 2-3 times your size is a beautiful metaphor for the control we try to assert over our future. Learning to face your pride, step out of your realm of comfort, and do something new can all be incredible growth experiences. 

For individuals who feel a barrier to speaking out their hurt, feelings of shame or isolation, or those who have difficulty discussing their failings, equine therapy presents the opportunity to use the horse's support and connection to express their needs. For those who have the chance to interact and connect with a horse in this way, it can be incredibly powerful and healing.

Movement Therapy

Movement therapy may be considered a form of art therapy. However, in this context, it warrants its own definition. Movement therapies harness the connection between the body and mind to foster emotional and physical health. Dance, yoga, and martial arts are a few of the ways that movement can be incorporated into the treatment of emotional and physical concerns. Practitioners of movement therapies facilitate clients’ expression in both challenging and enlightening ways. True to the tenants of dance, “interconnection” and “integration” are integral to this process of expression.

During treatment, practitioners pair clients with movement forms meant to foster the “integration” of the emotional and physical self. In the sense that many problematic symptoms can present somatically, so too healing takes place on the somatic level. 

Movement therapists seek to provide environments where clients are safe enough to embrace the challenge of telling their stories through movement. While expression occurs, practitioners also teach clients to bring peace to mind through the brain-body connection. This personal, peaceful awareness is introduced through the practice of mindful movement and meditation. 

Experiential therapies seek to embrace the uniqueness of the human spirit and pair it with the beauty of mental, emotional, and physical wellness. Practitioners and clients alike may find that they gravitate towards experiential therapies when seeking to express and facilitate growth through experiences versus traditional talk therapies. 

Some recovering addicts feel uncomfortable working through their problems in a traditional therapy setting. Experiential therapy takes addiction treatment into the art studio, the outdoors, and more.

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Whether you run a traditional practice and seek new ways to help get your clients up off the couch, or you run a successful therapeutic yoga studio or wilderness therapy program, Alleva has solutions for you.  Keeping track of clients and tasks and using our scheduling platform has never been easier. With the friendliest EMR around, your to-do list just got a whole lot easier.