Do you feel like you need other therapy options other than your usual talk therapy? Everyone’s mental health is different, so a therapy option that may work for someone else is not necessarily always going to work for you. Do you currently use talk therapy but want additional support? There are several types of alternative therapy available to us.No matter which therapy you choose to use, it is a process.
Non-verbal therapies are an option as well and can help individuals understand and express unspeakable feelings. Alternative therapies can also be used in connection with talk therapy when you may feel “stuck” in sessions. Know your therapy options and what may be best for you. If you currently see a therapist and want to try an alternative therapy, reach out to your therapist for help.
Reasons to seek out alternative therapies:
- You feel you need extra support on top of your traditional therapy
- You are apprehensive about talk therapy
- You have had not so good experiences with talk therapy
- You are on a waitlist for a specific therapist
- You are having a hard time finding the right therapist for you
Alternative therapies to consider:
EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) is a psychotherapy that allows individuals to heal from emotional distress and symptoms cause by trauma. EMDR can help us cope with uncomfortable symptoms and fears that other therapies may not help with.
Although brainspotting is similar to EMDR therapy, with brainspotting, one does not have to live over their trauma(s). Brainspotting is based on the idea that feelings created from trauma get stuck and cause unwanted physical and emotional outcomes. This type of therapy is used to readjust the trauma that our bodies are holding onto.
- Yoga Therapy
Yoga therapy is a mix of spiritual, mental, physical, and emotional practices to help relax, become grounded, and become more connected with our internal systems. Yoga can help us reduce stress and anxiety, as well as calm the mind to better promote self-healing.
- Art Therapy
Is a form of non-verbal therapy that promotes creative expression of emotions. Art therapy can help people with many symptoms explore different art methods to help them express and release emotions that we may not even know we have.
- Equine-Assisted Therapy
Equine-assisted therapy or therapeutic riding can provide many activities involving the use of horses with a client to promote psychological, spiritual, and physical healing. EAT can be used to learn many life skills, overcome PTSD, help with physical disabilities, and much more.
- Dance Therapy
Dance therapy uses movement to focus on and release built up emotion. This type of movement can help with emotional and intellectual healing.
- Music Therapy
Music therapy can introduce music interventions that help us assess communication skills, emotional responses, social functioning, and overall well-being. These music interventions can be used to accomplish many goals that are set within the therapeutic environment and relationship.
- Writing Therapy
Writing therapy incorporates tools of expressing emotions through writing out thoughts and feelings. This is a form of expressive and non-verbal therapy that can benefit psychological, emotional, as well as physical healing.
Alternative therapy treatments can help us:
- Improves critical thinking
- Become more self-aware
- Self-express
- Gain self-esteem
- & Much more
Know and understand your options with therapy. Whatever the reason, there are always other therapies to try that may be more beneficial to you than others. Take the time to review each therapy and find what would relate to you the most. Know that you can do traditional therapy as well as alternative therapies.
If you feel that you need to try an alternative therapy while doing traditional therapy, speak to your therapist about how you are feeling and what your options are. Some alternative therapies may be offered by your current therapist. There are many benefits to alternative therapies.
