Counselling is well-known as one of the main types of talking therapies, where patients are encouraged to express their emotions and suggest suitable solutions to their problems. While self-expression remains a cornerstone of the practice, increasingly counsellors are adopting alternative therapy methods alongside their standard offering of guided conversation. Discover the different options available and how and when they could be integrated into treatment.
Animal-assisted therapy
Being within nature has been shown to reduce anxiety and make us feel more relaxed and, interestingly, interacting with animals has much the same effect.
Animals such as dogs and horses are incredibly empathetic, and many people feel more at ease expressing their emotions when in physical contact with them. Introducing animals into talking sessions can help you break down patient defence systems and establish honest and open communication.
Observing how people interact with the animals is also a useful indicator of mood and attitude.
Creative therapies
As you’ll know all too well, some people find it hard to talk about their feelings, even with an impartial professional. Creative therapies offer patients the chance to convey their thoughts without words through tasks that naturally require us to tap into emotions. This is especially useful for patients who are feeling overwhelmed or going through grief or trauma.
Creative therapies cover all of the arts from painting, writing and music to dance and drama. Find out if your patient would benefit best from physical movement or mental stimulation before making your recommendation.
Hypnotherapy
The trance-like state created through hypnosis makes most patients feel deeply relaxed. This freedom from mental blocks makes difficult conversations manageable and can help patients process their learnings more quickly.
Several types of hypnotherapy can be used to complement counselling, including cognitive and solution-based versions. Bear in mind that you’ll need specialist qualifications and training to practice hypnotherapy, while introducing new methods to your work may affect what kind of counsellors’ insurance is relevant for you. This treatment can exacerbate psychosis and personality disorders and must therefore be approached with care.
Group psychotherapy
When you’re helping patients navigate through situations involving a specific set of people in their lives, such as family, consider running group psychotherapy sessions where all involved can make their views heard. This clarifies feelings on all sides and encourages empathy for the other people in the situation, often leading towards a long-lasting successful solution.
Setting up or recommending a session with strangers going through similar circumstances can be beneficial too. Relating to others reinforces the idea that you’re not alone in your struggles and helps patients uncover and implement effective answers to their problems.
