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What is Holistic Therapy?

Traditionally, going to rehab was synonymous with detoxing. Rehab was essentially a medical tool designed to help addicts stop using drugs or drinking alcohol without suffering from life-threating withdrawal symptoms. Viewing rehab as a medical procedure was deeply flawed. After all, addiction is a mental disorder, not a physical one. The benefits of undergoing a detox without addressing the mental causes of addiction meant the vast majority attending these rehab programmes were likely to relapse once they returned to their home environment.

Today, rehab has changed. Now, rehab is much more about addressing the mental causes of addiction. One powerful tool for addressing the mental causes of addiction is holistic therapy. The term ‘holistic therapy’ is an umbrella term that’s used to describe a variety of treatments that aim to treat the body, mind and spirit. This approach is considered to treat the ‘whole person.’ This contrasts with the more traditional approach to addiction treatment that merely seeks to treat the body.

Popular types of holistic therapies

Example holistic therapies utilised by rehab clinics in the UK include:

• Acupuncture
• Alexander technique
• Aromatherapy
• Herbal medicine
• Homeopathy
• Naturopathy
• Reiki
• Yoga

Rehab clinics employ a multi-disciplinary team of professionals who are able to deliver on each of these holistic therapies. Because this requires a substantial investment in staffing costs, holistic therapies are much more commonly offered at higher-end rehab clinics.

Finding the right mix of holistic therapies

Before your rehab programme begins, you will be assessed. This assessment seeks to identify which particular combination of holistic therapies will best serve your needs. It’s unlikely you will have enough time to experience every holistic therapy on offer, so the assessor will attempt to pair your needs up with the right combination of holistic therapies that are available.

Before you begin to benefit from holistic therapies, you will first undergo a medically assisted detox programme. This programme allows you to detox without suffering from extreme withdrawal symptoms. Once the detox is completed, you will then begin to benefit from holistic therapies. It’s common for holistic therapies to be mixed with traditional talking therapies such as psychotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy, group therapy and one-to-one counselling.

Many holistic therapies seek to improve your general lifestyle. For instance, some holistic therapies may help you improve your nutrition whilst also offering you guidance on healthy sleep. Holistic therapies invariably include guidance on how to relax. For instance, you will benefit from both yoga and meditation that give you the tools to fight off negative feelings such as stress in natural ways that do not involve using mind-altering substances.

Some holistic therapies include a chanting element. In fact, many holistic therapies are rooted in ancient practices. These practices help clients unwind and lower their ego defences. Doing so helps clients make progress in other areas of their treatment such as the more traditional talking therapies. Above all, holistic therapies help clients experience a sense of self-expression that they may never have done in the past.

The aim of holistic therapies is to improve clients’ overall mental health and we feel this aim is definitely achieved. Many clients attending rehab clinics experience a dual diagnosis. This dual diagnosis is typically anxiety or depression. Holistic therapies are particularly beneficial in the rehab setting because they are proven to be effective at reducing the symptoms of these underlying mental health problems.

The personalised approach to holistic therapies is attributed for giving clients the best possible odds of beating their addiction for the long-term. Once clients return to the real world outside of the rehab clinic, they will be able to make use of the skills that holistic therapies entail. These skills are particularly effective at helping clients divert negative emotions away that could otherwise serve to become powerful relapse triggers.

One of the key benefits of holistic therapies is the amount of variation on offer. In total, there exist around 10-15 different types of holistic therapies on offer. This allows rehab clinics the opportunity to personalise how holistic therapies are bundled so that the best suit their clients’ needs.

How to find the suitable rehab in my local area?

By far the quickest way to locate suitable rehab is to contact our team today on 0800 138 0722. Researching your rehab options alone is time-consuming and there is a possibility that you could select poorly suited treatment. We help you narrow down your search to 2-3 local rehabs. We are also able to help you select rehab treatment that may be far away from your home.

Many rehab clinics we recommend offer evidence-based treatments. We appreciate that going to rehab will require a substantial financial outlay for many of you, so it’s absolutely vital that you avoid selecting a poorly suited rehab clinic. By attending a modern facility offering evidence-based treatments, you gain the best possible opportunity for reaching your long-term recovery goals. Examples of evidence-based treatments include Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Motivational Enhancement Therapy.

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