Experiential Therapy
- What is Experiential Therapy?
- How is Experiential Therapy Used?
- Is Experiential Therapy Effective?
- EMDR at PCH Treatment Center
What is Experiential Therapy?
Experiential therapy is a form of psychotherapy that encourages Clients to identify and address hidden or subconscious issues through experiences such as role-playing, guided imagery, the use of props, and a range of other activities. Experiential therapy is rooted in Gestalt Therapy, a form of psychotherapy that emphasizes taking personal responsibility. Experiential therapy is actually a category rather than one specific type of therapy. Examples of experiential therapy include recreation therapy, equine therapy, expressive arts therapy, music therapy, wilderness therapy, adventure therapy, and psychodrama.
Experiential Therapy is a tool used to help Clients examine personal relationships and initiate self-discovery on how those relationships affect current behaviors. When Clients are being treated for eating disorders or recovering from drug or alcohol addition, examining personal relationships through this therapy can help them identify negative emotions triggering those compulsive behaviors. Rather than talking, or being given a book or list of things to work on, Clients participating in experiential therapy may recreate situations or experiences that trigger difficult emotions or feelings that can then be addressed.
Emotions are a reflection of our reality. They tell the story of our lives, whether that story is good or bad. Experiential Therapy encourages people to seek out emotions they have locked up or hidden away and bring them to the surface again. They experience anew negative episodes from the past and identify which emotions were connected to those episodes. Once the emotions are identified and brought to the surface, they are encouraged to create solutions that neutralize the damage those emotions caused and promote healing of self.
How is Experiential Therapy Used?
When a Client undergoes experiential therapy, it opens a door for them to become more aware of their own needs, motivations and patterns of behavior. They relive past and present relationships, unlocking buried negative emotions in those relationships that are directly affecting what choices they make in their lives.
Clearing away emotional and mental road blocks is an effective step toward healing old wounds and allowing a person to find closure from traumatic episodes in their life. Experiential Therapy is used to identify these road blocks and create detours around them. It helps a Client understand that suppressing negative emotions and locking them away in a hidden place can be destructive to their long-term emotional well-being. The goal with Experiential Therapy is to help people identify what emotions are causing them the most harm and confront those feelings in a healthy way.
Is EMDR effective?
Identifying unresolved emotions at the root of an eating disorder, ongoing trauma or an addiction can be the first step on the road to recovery. It is easier to treat the symptoms once the causes are more fully understood. A Client who undergoes experiential therapy can experience healing in the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual realms.
Experiential Therapy is useful in showing Clients how to deal with problems and find solutions that replace compulsive behaviors with healthier expressions of both positive and negative emotions. It may represent the first opportunity Clients have to deal with negative feelings in such a complete way. When they learn to replace those negative feelings with positive ones, they can move forward in their recovery and they learn how to better cope with problems they encounter in their lives.
Effective use of Experiential Therapy can lead a Client to attain a higher degree of self-confidence and free them from self-destructive emotional and behavioral patterns. A Client learns how to live in the present and not dwell in the past. This helps eliminate feelings of anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. An improved ability to establish healthy relationships and a connection with one's true self are hallmarks of success from Experiential Therapy.
Experiential Therapy at PCH Treatment Center
At PCH Treatment Center, we incorporate several Experiential Therapies into our treatment programs. We offer psychodrama, a songwriting workshop, art therapy and other modalities. Our goal in using Experiential Therapy, like any other therapy, is to provide our Clients with a complete healing experience. We help our clients identify what is behind their problems and aid them in finding lasting solutions. Our purpose is to help them feel better about themselves and cultivate healthier relationships with their family and friends.
PCH Treatment Center uses a holistic approach that includes all the most effective methods of therapy. Our staff is entirely composed of licensed and board certified psychologists and physicians. We consider the needs of each individual Client and construct an Experiential Therapy plan tailored to their specific physical, mental and emotional needs.
Our focus is on creating a balance between mind and body. Any treatment includes a mix of other healing activities such as yoga, massage therapy, nature outings, meditation and sleep therapy. True healthiness is only achieved when each part of a person is healed.
