Talk Therapy Alongside Alternatives. Thoughts?

[AslinSparx]

I'm relatively new to this amazingly supportive forum and I've read so much over the last few weeks about peoples experiences, struggles, insights etc and I'd love to get peoples perspectives on other alternative forms of treatments/therapies they have explored or are interested in exploring.

There is a lot of mention on this forum about talk therapy, EMDR, hypnosis, CBT, DBT, exposure therapy and so forth but not much mention of peoples experiences with bodywork/somatics, art therapy, reiki, sound healing, plant medicines, kinesiology etc. Personally I have found that talk therapy just isn't enough for me, I need to be present, I need to get out of the cerebral and into my body. Talk therapy can only take me so far, and while I believe that in this point in time in my recovery, I need it, I also feel like it takes away from the importance I need to place on paying close attention to body awareness. Therefore I really enjoy my weekly DBT sessions, my weekly T sessions and the random dance therapy sessions and am very excited about embarking on EMDR therapy. I also try and fit in a healing session with my healer (when the funds are good) and the occasional massage. I've also been extremely fortunate to have the experience of traveling to Peru to sit with a shaman for 12 days to do immense healing with plant medicine. It was the most profound therapy I have embarked on and I have not been the same since.

I believe that while talk therapy IS very helpful and often required in a lot of situations, I often ponder to what degree do we exclude the body when dealing with our trauma?

What other alternative treatments/therapies do you engage in, or are curious about?
What have been your experience with alternative treatments/therapies?

 

[Tornadic Thoughts]

Ahhh....this topic really excites me!! I live in an amazing area that created a time bank in our local community and enables members to share skills based on time vs. money. Having that come to fruition right at the time I was at the deepest depths of desperation created the momentum I needed to find a more productive path to wellness. I had the good fortune of first meeting and working with a registered dietitian/neuroptimal neurofeedback practitioner who helped teach me more nurturing ways to fuel my body, and the neurofeedback, after only 6 sessions, helped me start making very subtle, yet very helpful and significant changes. So much so that my husband bought me a personal machine at xmas time that same year.

From there, I was able to explore some energy work through Healing Touch and Reiki methods, discovered the healing benefits of monthly massage therapy, have been immersed in Tibetan singing bowl and gong therapy, have developed my own in-home gym of sorts with hula hoops and a mini-trampoline, have been working with an acupuncturist who is also a master herbalist, learned breathing techniques with a re-birthing specialist, had my eyes read by an iridologist, have learned of mucus and pus forming foods and how the gut effects our behaviors and emotions, have learned much needed wisdom in how to grow much of my own herbs/foods and how to safely forage the wild for edible and medicinal goodies, and have worked with a chiropractor who practices the Gonstead technique. Even the talk therapy is a bit out of the ordinary as it's offered through a domestic and sexual violence shelter, so it's free, but has been the best help I've ever received in that type of talk therapy environment, by far.

I've learned it takes a village, no matter how much I wish I could just be left alone to deal with it some days, and that focusing on overall wellness has been much more beneficial that farming myself out to various specialists, if that makes sense. I don't engage in all of those things weekly, nor even monthly, at times, but I know they're there if/when I need them. There's no doubt in my mind that having the bartering option(s) most likely saved my life. It definitely enriched it. I learned that much of what can be the most effective for my needs doesn't have to come at a huge cost through an insurance company, like deep breathing and what I choose to eat, and that was freeing as f***. May bartering catch back on in all the places and spaces to make these things more accessible.

 

[Deleted member 29920]

I do my own art therapy and a kind of meditation where I only focus on positive memories, thoughts and goals. I would like to try acupressure too.

 

[Cannottakethis]

I love art therapy and body work and have done both when inpatient. Since coming home, I've created my own program. Art therapy with coloring and different projects from the craft store. At some point I will go back to the ceramics. For bodywork I've been going to yoga. It's one of the only things that helps quiet my mind, focus on my breathing, and make me aware of my body in a positive light.

 

[James McGregor]

I'm relatively new to this amazingly supportive forum and I've read so much over the last few weeks...

Well ive been in a lot of different types of therapy here in the UK, the one which made the most difference to me was CAT (Cognative Analytical Therapy). I had tried CBT like many, its a cheap and easy to deliver form of therapy and to be honest i think its fairly useless. Its not at all about dealing with issues, rather trying to distract yourself away from them - which may work for some, but not me. CAT allows you space to visit the past, and find where an issue began, and deal with it now. I was in it for a year and it made a lot of difference. Sadly the NHS in the uk being what it is, it wasnt possible to stay in it. I have tried EMDR once but it made me feel like my brain was being scrambled, i really did not like how it felt at all. I agree that talking therapies are the best option, for me medication does absolutly no good at all, its a short term sticking plaster. Thats just for me, im sure others get on with it just fine, but ill avoid meds at all costs

 

[James McGregor]

I'm relatively new to this amazingly supportive forum and I've read so much over the last few weeks...

Outside of therapy, i spent a lot of time doing photography and art, which was a help to a degree, but i found it became too much of an obsession, rather than getting a release from it, it started to become a stressor for me. This seems to be how it goes for me, i find it very hard to do something and enjoy it, i put too much importance on everything

 

[whiteraven]

I am moving more in this direction, as I have been unable to find any kind of traditional therapy to be beneficial (and I've been at this a very long time). Over the years, I've tried a variety of different things but not for any extended period of time. Tai chi, massage, journal writing (any kind of writing, really - I am trained as a writer and it is something I love to do), healing touch, chakra and aura work, essential oils, etc.... I get more benefit from these things than I do anything, in truth. I'm hoping to continue some of these this year, and I really appreciate this thread for reminding me that these did help. Another thing I discovered last year was Vibrational Sound Therapy. Very innovative.

 

[VioletButterfly]

I sure wish I had that a co-op system were existent in my area! Even though I live in a rather large metro area, it's rather treatment-backward. What is available is cost-prohibitive. So happy that you and others have this option.

That being said, I've been working with using art/crafts/drawing, music, writing, and dance for a long time now, though not in a routinized way. I just couldn't seem to keep the connectedness of creativity within my firm grasp for extended periods of time with trauma issues/real-time experiences on board. I feel "now" is the time though, so I'm being more concerted in focusing on what I know and what I need to heal. Although it takes a lot of energy and sheer will for me to concentrate, I do believe that healing through nutrition, mindfulness practices, body movement and connection, spiritual practices, community engagement, and being creative (writing, crafting, drawing, painting, pottery (I so want to do this!), dance, music....) are the keys to healing.

This doesn't mean I don't spend time working on my thinking/belief system, experiencing and behaviors, it just makes dealing with them more tenable and productive. I, also, haven't found traditional therapy very helpful, but have found more value in turning to myself, my creator, this community and others, and in researching/reading/analyzing whatever I can get my hands on for support, knowledge/information and understanding.

 

[bring em all in]

AslinSparx- I've read, and I believe, that sometimes talk therapy alone is not enough. Things get stuck in our bodies beyond what words have the power to heal. I am currently working with a therapist trained in EFT Tapping. She has me tap through a series of meridian points on my face and collarbone while describing my negative issues/feelings (to self-validate them) and then making positive statements (to allow healing).

The idea is akin to acupuncture and the freeing up of blocked energy in the body. So far it has been more helpful in letting thoughts and feelings come to the surface than in releasing them, but I guess I can't walk on a treadmill a few times and expect to lose 50 pounds.

I'm not sure if it will produce the results I want, but what have I got to lose? And if it works- well, 24 years of talk therapy and medication haven't gotten me very far.

 

[whiteraven]

I sure wish I had that a co-op system were existent in my area! Even though I live in a rather...

Most of what I would like to do is also cost-prohibitive, which is why I don't do much of it on a regular basis. There is lots of stuff out there, but just no way to pay for it. I tend to try things when I find them on trial, like at free expos and things - which is where I discovered the vibrational sound therapy - and pick up a lot of things in books and in as many less expensive ways as possible (for example, massage at a school for massage vs. at a professional business - much cheaper).

 

[ladee]

Very timely thread for me!
I too use art and many creative practices to release negative energy.
I too have been on this healing journey for a very long time.
What got me to thinking of other avenues is I am in chronic pain. Of course Pain Management is about meds and spinal blocks.
Can not put into words what hearing about the spinal blocks did to me. It was a resounding NO from me.
Since, I have been researching alternative measures. Have become acutely aware of how anxiety and stress makes the pain worse. Doing a lot more breathing and it helps.
I have very limited income and live in a rural area..
But I know there are things I can do myself if I find the books to help me.
Thank you for this share. First time in a long time I have felt excited about finding new ways to help myself.
If any of you have any recommended reading, please share. Deeply appreciated.
Namaste

 

[bring em all in]

ladee wrote: "If any of you have any recommended reading, please share." I received this book recently as a gift: Getting Past Your Past: Take Control of Your Life with Self-Help Techniques from EMDR Therapy by Francine Shapiro. I've also read: Childhood Disrupted: How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology, and How You Can Heal by Donna Jackson Nakazawa. And of course Pete Walker's book on C-PTSD and The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Dead Link Removed

Also, there is a website on EFT tapping: The Tapping Solution (EFT): How To Get Started
and another: The EFT Silent Sea of Disappointed People | Popular EFT articles | EFT Tapping Articles & Ideas