What is Experiential Therapy?

Experiential Therapy in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut is a therapeutic technique that utilizes expressive activities and tools to re-enact, re-experience, work through, past circumstances or past relationships. The use of experiential methods allows the client to use more than just language when addressing and accessing their trauma. A client working with an experiential therapist can expect to begin to explore and let go of painful feelings of shame, hurt, anger, that may have been previously blocked or inaccessible. Experiential therapy offered at Repose includes art therapy, dance movement therapy, yoga therapy, and breath work.

When is Experiential Therapy used? 

This type of therapeutic intervention is commonly used in the treatment of substance use addiction, eating disorders, trauma, anger management, grief & loss, and also various other types of compulsive behaviors, or behavioral addictions. It is also a useful intervention for any and all folks, who have not felt like “traditional” therapy is the right fit. Experiential therapy is suited for folks that wish to loosen the shackles of painful past experiences. Plus therapy can change the nature of your current or future relationships.

Benefits of Experiential Therapy

For folks that have experienced trauma, language may feel inaccessible in their healing journey. Research shows that one part of the left frontal lobe of the brain called the Broca’s area quite literally shuts down when one is faced with trauma. This is the same brain region that handles the function of putting our feelings and thoughts into words. For people with this experience, healing is still important and necessary. Experiential therapy is one way to do just that.