Experiential Therapy

Traditional therapies that focus on talking through thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and experiences are valuable in addiction and mental health treatment but might not be for everyone.

Experiential therapy for addiction allows people to do tasks or activities instead of solely focusing on thoughts and feelings. Experiential therapy works well for most people, especially those who do not want to or have difficulty talking about their feelings and experiences.

Experiential therapy in Denver aims to enhance talk therapies with hands-on experiences. Activities typically involve a challenge and have an element of risk, whether perceived or actual. The risk factor forces clients out of their comfort zones and pushes them to trust themselves and others. Most activities rely on group participation to encourage cooperation, which helps clients improve their communication and interpersonal skills. Other benefits include:

• Development of problem-solving skills
• Improved self-reliance
• Reduced impulsivity
• Increased focus
• Trauma resolution
• Improved self-esteem
• Improved self-image

Experiential therapy enables clients to experience feelings of success, disappointment, anxiety, fear, accountability, and more. Such feelings can be closely connected to past experiences that are painful or difficult to face head-on. By engaging in activities that bring out uncomfortable emotions, clients can address them with the guidance and insight of their trained therapist and begin to heal.