Recovering from alcohol and drug addiction takes time and, for best outcomes, professional treatment. Treatment can take a variety of forms, but quality treatment includes both individual and group therapy. It can also include less traditional therapeutic options, depending on each client’s interests and comfort level. For example, experiential therapy often complements traditional talk therapy, and The Ranch at Dove Tree offers some incredible opportunities.
What is Experiential Therapy?
Experiential therapy is made up of interactive activities, games, and experiences designed to help clients build confidence, work through feelings, and experience new activities during the alcohol and drug recovery process. Experiential therapy helps support well-being and offers positive mental health support throughout the difficult recovery process.
What Are the Benefits of Experiential Therapy?
The benefits of experiential therapy are numerous and often include highly targeted opportunities for people to learn, grow, and work through their challenges. Experiential therapy will help you:
- Work through past conflict: Not everyone likes openly discussing their experiences. With experiential therapy, it is possible to work through challenges, including conflict and trauma, without having to spend a lot of time talking about them.
- Build self-awareness: You’ll learn more about yourself, what makes you upset, how you process emotions, and what puts you at risk for relapse.
- Learn to problem solve: In experiential therapy, you’ll have fun–and you’ll also learn problem-solving skills and feel successful (and accomplished) when you overcome challenges.
- Relax: Depending on the activities you choose, you’ll feel relaxed and supported in mind, body, and spirit. You will build the confidence that can benefit your recovery.
- Become proactive: Instead of reacting impulsively to challenging situations, you’ll learn how to become more proactive in assessing a situation and coming up with healthy responses. This will lessen your risk of engaging in negative or unhealthy behaviors.
Many people find that experiential therapy helps them discover who they are and what they love–elements of life that addiction strips away.
Experiential Therapy at The Ranch at Dove Tree
When you begin working with our team at The Ranch at Dove Tree, you’ll learn all about the variety of experiential therapies available to you within our program. You are encouraged to enjoy multiple types of therapy. Engaging in a good mix of activities can often be ideal. The following are some of our most popular programs (though we always have new options on the horizon).
- Music and art: Engaging with music and art as both a listener/observer and as a participant can enable you to work through pain, trauma, and bad experiences to build more confidence. There is no experience necessary to try it out.
- Equine therapy: Working with horses, learning how to groom and care for them, is an incredibly therapeutic experience because of the way horses can pick up on and reflect back on the emotions people have.
- Adventure programs: Getting out there and conquering obstacles is what therapy is all about, and adventure programs allow you to hike and explore nature to reconnect with yourself and the world around you.
- Psychodrama: In this type of therapy, often called drama therapy, the goal is to re-enact or work through stressful situations with role-playing. This can help to process emotions and provide real, hands-on support.
- Creative writing: For some, words come easier through writing than talking. This is an excellent resource for learning how to express yourself in a healing manner.
We encourage you to explore a range of therapy options. We are confident you will find activities that feel healing and rejuvenating.
Contact The Ranch at Dove Tree Now to Get the Support You Need
Learn more about the experiential therapy and treatment options available to you at The Ranch at Dove Tree. With our focus on exceptional care and the most modern techniques, we can provide you with strategies that help you to recover, rebuild, and, in many ways, become the best version of yourself. Contact us now to learn more.
