What is Integrative Therapy?
Integrative Therapy is an alternative approach to healing that combines ideas and techniques from different therapeutic beliefs depending on the unique needs of a given client, addressing Mind, Body and Spirit. In practice, by merging elements of different theories or modifying standard treatments, integrative therapists can often offer a more flexible and inclusive approach to treatment than those who practice singular forms of therapy.
Integrative therapy is holistic because it considers an individual’s mental, physical, and emotional health as a whole. However, it is not meant to replace the need for traditional medical care through your licensed physician or medical professional, but rather work in tandem.
The integrative approach to therapy and healing may help to bridge the divisions in traditional and alternative therapies by selecting and using theories and techniques from different models and creating a framework that prioritizes unity between the two.
The goal of integrative alternative therapy is to align universal techniques that are empirically proven to be effective in the treatment of a specific struggle, emotionally, mentally, physically, or spiritually.
This approach suggests that there is no single method that is superior for each and every situation.
Why use Integrative Therapy?
Because integrative therapy is highly individualized, it can be adapted depending on the individual's situation.
Where single forms of therapy are often more rigid, integrative therapy can adapt over time and based on any events, changes, or experiences that might occur throughout treatment.
Another advantage of integrative therapy is that it can be modified depending on the disorder or problem that person is facing. For example, if a person is dealing with depression, a therapist may draw on a number of treatment options that are effective in treating the condition.
Integrative therapy can also help people learn to integrate and understand different aspects of themselves, including the mind, body, relationships, spirituality, thoughts, and emotions. Rather than focusing on a problem from a single perspective or in isolation, this type of therapy can encourage a broader, more holistic point of view.