Traditional treatments usually focus on addressing isolated symptoms without considering the patient’s whole being. In most cases, a physician helps you with the physical aspects while a therapist works on your mental health.
Although these treatments are useful, such a fragmented approach might miss the interconnections between your mind, body, and soul. That’s where holistic therapy comes in. Holistic therapy offers a comprehensive solution to many issues, including addiction.
Today, we’ll explain the details of holistic therapy in Illinois and how it can be a transformative experience for those dealing with addiction. Keep reading to find out more about it.
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What Is Holistic Therapy?
Holistic therapy is a kind of therapy that doesn’t just focus on specific symptoms. Rather, it integrates the connection between the body, mind, emotions, and spirit in the healing process.
On the whole, this holistic approach aims to promote overall wellness and balance by creating harmony within a person. It also helps individuals develop a deeper understanding of their own existence on all levels.
For example, people struggling with alcohol addiction often need to undergo a medically assisted detox process. With holistic therapy, the treatment plan can also include physical activities, meditation sessions, nutritional counseling, and other mindfulness practices.
Having said that, holistic therapy isn’t a type of treatment to use on its own. Instead, it works best as a part of a comprehensive treatment plan that includes other evidence-based types of therapy.
Who Can Benefit From Holistic Therapy?
Holistic therapy complements traditional addiction treatment. This happens by addressing the root cause of the problem and supporting recovery with techniques such as art therapy and spiritual guidance.
Besides addiction, holistic therapy actually offers benefits to a wide range of people, including:
- People who look to improve their well-being, overall health, and balance on multiple levels.
- Those who need to manage anxiety disorders or reduce stress levels.
- Individuals dealing with chronic pain and looking for ways to mitigate it.
- Patients who suffer from depression or trauma.
- Any person who’s simply interested in learning more about the human mind-body connections.
What Are the Types of Holistic Therapy?
The holistic approach to treatment can take on many forms of complementary therapies, most of which draw from other kinds of therapy. Some of the most common forms of holistic therapy include the following:
1. Mindfulness and Meditation
Through practices like meditation, a holistic therapist teaches the patient to be aware of the present moment. This helps with enhancing mental clarity and reducing stress.
For those struggling with addiction, mindfulness techniques can help manage cravings. As a result, it increases resilience against triggers and reduces relapse risks.
2. Yoga and Exercise
In general, physical exercise within a holistic therapy plan works on a person’s flexibility, strength, and relaxation. Movement therapies, such as yoga, tai chi, and qigong, can help with reducing stress and supporting recovery.
Generally, this is a result of the body releasing endorphins. These chemicals can elevate the mood and reduce cravings while also improving sleep quality. That’s why physical activity can be a fantastic outlet for stress and anxiety.
3. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
This form of holistic therapy focuses on how thoughts and emotions can affect one’s behavior. It addresses the whole person by empowering individuals to identify and change negative thought patterns that contribute to unhealthy habits.
Generally, cognitive behavioral therapy helps those recovering from addiction develop coping strategies. It also aids them in enhancing their self-awareness and control, as well as managing triggers more effectively.
4. Nutritional Counseling
During recovery, your healthcare provider may recommend seeing a nutritionist. Guidance on diet and nutritional supplements helps restore physical health and promote a healthy recovery process.
Not only that, but addressing nutritional deficiencies common in addiction can help restore balance in the body’s biochemistry. Consequently, it helps boost energy levels, reduce cravings, and stabilize the mood.
5. Acupuncture and Massage Therapy
Alternative therapies like acupuncture, acupressure, and herbal medicine aim to restore the body’s energy balance. At the same time, therapeutic massage improves circulation, relieves muscle tension, and promotes relaxation.
Principally, these techniques can help with reducing anxiety, insomnia, and physical pain associated with withdrawal.
6. Art and Music Therapy
Creative therapies, whether through painting, music, or dance, encourage self-expression. They act as an alternative outlet for emotional processing. Additionally, they help the patient work on self-discovery and heal from trauma.
Such aspects of holistic therapy include a huge variety of activities, from drawing and sculpting to drumming and music improvisation.
7. Somatic Psychotherapy
Just like yoga and meditation, somatic psychotherapy addresses the physical and emotional aspects of holistic therapy. It works by integrating techniques like breathwork, movement, and mindfulness.
Such a form of holistic therapy helps a person regulate emotions, manage cravings, and heal trauma stored in the body.
That said, somatic therapy sessions usually involve activities such as dance, movement, voice work, and touch.
8. Reiki
Reiki is another effective form of therapy that originated in Japan. It utilizes the transfer of healing energy through the practitioner’s hands to the patient while lying on a mat or a table.
Presumably, reiki can work effectively to reduce depression and anxiety. For those going through addiction, it can help alleviate withdrawal symptoms, ease emotional distress, and enhance a person’s well-being.
9. Sound Healing
Sound healing is a powerful sensory form of holistic treatment that utilizes the therapeutic effects of sound vibrations. It uses instruments like singing bowls, gongs, and tuning forks to produce frequencies that can change brain waves.
As surprising as it may sound, this type of therapy helps reduce tension, reduce stress, and encourage deep relaxation. This is because the waves of these soothing sounds can help individuals release negative emotions and traumas that might underlie addiction.
How Do Holistic Therapy Sessions Work?
In most addiction treatment centers, therapists incorporate holistic psychotherapy and complementary modalities into personalized treatment plans. Each session is designed specifically to address the needs of every individual.
Typically, the treatment process involves the following steps:
1. Performing an Initial Assessment
To begin with, a holistic therapist usually conducts a thorough assessment of the patient’s physical, emotional, and mental health. They discuss everything from the medical history and lifestyle to any other concerns that may arise.
Taking the information gathered into consideration, the therapist starts to create the best approach for treatment. The final product is a customized plan that incorporates some holistic practices the patient can benefit from.
2. Scheduling Therapy Sessions
Depending on the holistic therapy form, sessions may vary in frequency. Some treatments occur on a weekly basis, while others happen more or less often. Besides that, many forms, such as massage therapy and breathwork, are available as single sessions on an as-needed basis.
As per your treatment plan, your holistic therapist may recommend a combination of holistic approaches with different schedules. For example, your weekly psychotherapy session might require support from a yoga class twice a week in addition to a monthly nutritionist visit.
3. Measuring Progress
In most cases, the treatment plan doesn’t specify an exact end to holistic therapy. Just like with other therapy forms, you work with your therapist on setting goals to achieve holistic health. This also includes ways to measure your progress throughout the process.
For some, they keep working with their therapists till they resolve a specific issue, such as insomnia, for example. On the other hand, others may continue to dig deeper into themselves and gather many of the benefits of holistic therapy.
4. Regular Adjustments and Follow-Ups
The beginning of each holistic therapy session is an optimal time to check the patient’s progress and make the needed adjustments. During the session, the therapist leads you through a series of activities that focus on the body and mind.
In general, holistic therapy sessions aren’t all the same. Some of them focus mainly on mental health, such as through open talks or meditation. Alternatively, a few types of sessions are more directed towards the physical aspect, like yoga, exercise, and massage.
In fact, there’s also an educational side to these types of sessions. For instance, your therapist may teach you how the body processes negative emotions chemically and recommend ways to manage them successfully.
Overall, many of the holistic therapy sessions mix both elements (mental and physical) for your whole self to benefit.
Final Thoughts
Holistic therapy provides a comprehensive approach to treating various issues, especially addiction. It makes a successful way to achieve wellness and balance by addressing the connections between your body, mind, soul, and emotions.
Luckily, holistic therapy in Illinois is widely available. Such an approach helps individuals develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their recovery process.
It includes practices such as mindfulness, yoga, acupuncture, etc. So, even outside the context of addiction, holistic therapy can be beneficial for everyone.
Lastly, if you think holistic therapy can make you or someone you care about better, don’t hesitate to ask for help. At Illinois Recovery Center, you can find information on all the types of intervention programs and therapy sessions we offer.
