Experiential therapy is a type of psychotherapy that taps into the root causes of addiction, and it encourages clients to develop a healthy relationship with themselves. This treatment taps into the underlying causes of addiction, promoting physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. Experiential therapy also helps to change the brain's neuroplasticity, or growth potential. This process can lead to lasting improvements in addiction recovery.
Experiential therapy helps clients cultivate a loving relationship with themselves
Experiential therapy focuses on the premise that our behavior is determined by how we perceive reality. Through this process, clients release repressed negative feelings and reshape their understanding of reality. The experiential therapy process can take many forms. Although client-centered, some therapies incorporate animal-assisted therapy or sculpture. Others focus on role-relationship issues, while others use drama and art as means to express themselves.
In experiential therapy, the client is an active participant and the primary experiencer. They are required to participate fully during sessions and to offer input to the therapist about the process. The first aspect of the process emphasizes the potentials of experiencing that the client already has. The therapist can facilitate the expression of these potentials and minimize the factors that impede full experiencing. The client is encouraged to explore new ideas and emotions, and to explore the meaning of their experiences.
It taps into underlying causes of addiction
Unlike conventional therapy, experiential therapy aims to address the underlying causes of an addiction, rather than just the symptoms. By subjecting the user to certain experiences, the therapy aims to address the repressed emotions that trigger cravings. By identifying and addressing the underlying problems, it helps patients better deal with their cravings. It has also proven to be an effective method of treating co-occurring issues like trauma and grief.
One of the key differences between traditional and experiential therapy is that it involves physical activity. Instead of just talking about the problem, an experiential therapist will engage the patient in a physical activity or exploration. The patient is also prompted to talk about their feelings, which they may have repressed or suppressed. By processing these feelings, a person can work on overcoming their addiction in the long term.
It promotes physical, emotional, and spiritual healing
A program for recovery from addiction addresses all three facets of human wellbeing - mind, body, and spirit. In some cases, healing the body only involves stopping substance use, while others emphasize mental and spiritual aspects of recovery. Spiritual healing is a deeply personal process that promotes physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. Nevertheless, these three aspects are crucial to an individual's well-being.
Several studies have suggested a strong link between spirituality and the duration of sobriety. A commitment to a higher power may also help reduce the severity of relapse episodes. The importance of spirituality in recovery has been explored in retrospective studies of recovering addicts. Most report that their spirituality helped them maintain the changes they had made in recovery. Nonetheless, there are many questions surrounding spirituality in addiction treatment.
It changes the brain through neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity is a process whereby the brain continues to develop and change over time. While scientists once believed that the human brain stopped growing after childhood, new research has demonstrated that the brain is able to continually change. Through neuroplasticity, the brain can change its architecture, transfer functions from one area of the brain to another, and develop new skills. Here are some ways neuroplasticity is used in the treatment of autism and other conditions.
While neuroplasticity is most prevalent in childhood, it continues to change throughout life. Even the day-to-day behaviors we engage in may have an effect on brain structure and function. A study of British taxi drivers showed that their ability to memorize city streets led to changes in the brain's memory center, the hippocampus. The longer the taxi drivers were in training, the larger their hippocampus expanded. These changes in the middle years underscore the importance of neuroplasticity in learning across the lifespan.
