There are several therapeutic techniques that can be pretty effective when it comes to healing a person emotionally, physically and spiritually after a traumatic event. Experiential therapy is one such technique using expressive tools and experiential Austin therapy activities such as acting, animal care, guided imagery, music, arts and craft or several other forms of recreation. This re-enacts and re-experiences past and recent emotional situations. The therapist uses your focus and experiences to identify emotions associated with disappointment, responsibility, success and self-esteem. You learn to explore and release anger, shame or other negative feelings related to past experiences. You get rid of these negativities.
When To Use Experiential Therapy?
Experiential therapy activities help in the treatment of eating disorders, trauma, behavior disorders, grief and loss recovery, anger management, substance abuse, compulsive behavior such as gambling and other behavioral and physical addictions. Experiential therapy is also for those who want to get rid of unhappy and painful feelings related to painful experiences in the past. This therapy also helps in shaping your current and future relationships. Most importantly, you learn how to live to your fullest potential.
Your therapist can offer healing therapies in individual, clinical and medical settings. The therapist can include treatment, recovery and rehabilitation programs. If required, traditional talk therapy styles are also used.
What Can You Expect?
Experiential therapy is not a specific form of therapy. Depending on your emotional, physical and spiritual state, the therapist might use different types of experiences and “hands-on” interventions with talk therapy. Your therapist will guide you on how you can practice these interventions. The goal is to assist you in gaining deeper access to your inner thoughts, emotional processing, creativity, and interactions with others.
You also learn to use your experiences to make decisions and choices on your own. You become more comfortable to move through life. The therapist also uses these interventions to focus on your perceptions and awareness of the situations you are going through. In addition to private counseling sessions with your therapist, you also take part in experiential therapy activities.
How Does Experiential Therapy Help?
Experiential therapy is based on the idea that your perception determines your behavior. When you release and re-experience your past negative emotions, you learn to experience love, calm, and forgiveness and other positive experiences in a better way. Your perception of reality is changed. As there can be different forms of this therapy, your choices are honored. Your preferences are considered when it comes to choosing or employing certain interventions. Maybe you are more interested in animal-assisted therapy. Or, you are more interested in some other form of expressions such as drama or sculpture.
When you feel that you cannot overcome your present and past negative emotions on your own, you can visit an experiential therapist. Make sure that he is an experienced and licensed therapist. The therapist is actually a clinician with additional training in art therapy, psychodrama or any other specific experiential approach. To feel comfortable and safe with a therapist, always check credentials before working with him.