Experiential therapy is a form of psychotherapy where patients use expressive tools to heal past traumas. Experiential therapy departs from traditional talk therapy by involving the body and having clients fully immerse themselves in hands-on activities, movements, and physical and emotional expression.

Through activities such as art-making, participating in outdoor activities and working with animals, experiential therapy can help those in recovery from a substance use disorder explore difficult situations, emotions, and traumas that may have contributed to their addiction. This in turn, provides those in recovery with a different perspective and new coping mechanisms which can help them live a life free of drugs and alcohol.

This article explains experiential therapy, including how it works, what it helps with, and what to expect during treatment.

What is Experiential Therapy?

Developed in the 1940’s by Carl Whitaker, a psychiatrist, educator, and family therapist who helped found the field of experiential family therapy, experiential therapy refers to a broad class of humanistic therapies that were designed as an alternative to psychoanalytic methods in psychiatry.

A central organizing principle of experiential therapy is that perception guides behavior. Therefore, experiential therapy is focused on an individual’s current feelings, bodily sensations and perceptions. During therapy sessions, the therapist works with patients; using a variety of techniques to enhance awareness, expression and processing of difficult emotions.

The goal of experiential therapy is for individuals to become more mindful of their own emotions, needs, and behavior patterns, so that they can take different actions. In reliving past and present relationships, people are able to uncover stifled negative emotions that have a direct impact on their current life choices. In other words, by healing the past they are able to create a healthy present – one that is free of drugs and alcohol.

While originally developed as a family therapy method, experiential therapy has been shown to be effective in treating substance use disorders and a variety of mental health conditions. As a result, treatment centers will often include experiential therapies as part of a comprehensive addiction treatment program.

In addition to treating substance use disorders, experiential therapy is also used to treat the following:

Anger management
Anxiety
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Behavior disorders
Compulsive behaviors
Depression
Eating disorders
Grief
Mood disorders
Phobias
Relationship and family conflicts
Stress
Trauma

Experiential Therapy For Addiction Treatment

When treating alcohol and drug addiction, it’s important to address the underlying feelings and behaviors that trigger an individual’s substance abuse. Many people with substance use disorders have experienced trauma and suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Experiential therapy is designed to unearth repressed memories and behaviors that cannot necessarily be identified, analyzed, or processed with traditional talk therapy. In fact, a 2016 study found that the active outdoor environment can be more beneficial for some individuals as compared to traditional talk therapy-focused addiction treatment.

Experiential therapy helps those in recovery process difficult emotions and understand how they contribute to their substance abuse. Memories or triggers that are challenging to deal with are brought up in a safe environment and processed so that they no longer contribute to addictive behaviors. Through this process, those in recovery gain increased self-awareness, self-esteem and coping mechanisms that allow them to face future challenges without the use of substances.

Experiential therapy modalities are generally introduced at a treatment center after an individual has undergone medical detoxification to treat withdrawal symptoms. An experiential approach pairs well with other forms of talk therapy such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), as part of a multifaceted and well-rounded addiction treatment program.

Types of Experiential Therapy

There are several different types of experiential therapy. Some of the most common forms of experiential therapy which are used in addiction treatment settings include:

Art Therapy

Art therapy uses creative expression and artistic processes to help people work through feelings and experiences related to their substance abuse. Art therapy generally includes painting, sculpting, and drawing. The goal of art therapy is to help people recovering from addiction process negative emotions that are difficult to express in words. Repressed feelings may appear in a patient’s artwork, creating the opportunity to be addressed with a therapist. Through this process of artistic expression, people who are in treatment for substance abuse learn healthy coping skills.

Adventure Therapy

Also known as outdoor therapy and wilderness therapy, adventure therapy pairs therapy sessions with outdoor activities such as biking, camping, climbing, hiking, and whitewater rafting. The goal of this type of therapy is to help people recovering from addiction develop a sense of responsibility and the ability to deal with scenarios that simulate real-life stressors without drugs or alcohol. Performed in a group setting, adventure therapy encourages self-reflection and overall wellness. Through these hands-on experiences, individuals gain self-esteem while learning skills and coping mechanisms that can help them stay sober.

Animal-Assisted Therapy

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is a form of experiential therapy that includes animals in the treatment process. Examples of the most common types of AAT are:

Canine therapy: During this type of animal-assisted therapy, patients interact with service dogs while undergoing therapeutic interventions. The goal of canine therapy is to provide individuals with a sense of comfort, empathy, motivation, and emotional support while in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction.
Equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP): Equine-assisted psychotherapy incorporates horses and other equines into the therapeutic process. Individuals participate in activities such as grooming, feeding, and leading a horse while under the supervision of a mental health professional. The goal of EAP is to help individuals in recovery from a substance abuse disorder develop a sense of personal responsibility while learning new social skills and coping mechanisms.

Experiential Play Therapy

During experiential play therapy, individuals who are being treated for substance abuse are encouraged to role-play and re-experience events that may have been traumatic. Through this process, they gain self-awareness and a deeper understanding of their behavior. The goal of experiential play therapy is to help people rewrite traumatic memories and learn new ways to handle difficult feelings, relationships, and situations, without turning to substance abuse.

Music Therapy

Music therapy is a therapeutic approach that uses the natural mood-boosting properties of music to improve an individual’s mental health and overall sense of well-being. It usually involves a combination of writing songs, singing, dancing, listening to music, and discussing music. Similar to art therapy, music therapy uses creative expression as a way of processing difficult emotions. Music therapy can be helpful to people with co-occurring mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression to learn healthy coping mechanisms that don’t involve using substances.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR therapy is the practice of helping someone address their trauma through sporadic visual stimulation. EMDR is an effective treatment to help patients heal from traumatic events, adverse reactions, and other triggers associated with their addiction. Unlike other types of therapy, which may be long-term and ongoing, EMDR consists of 6-12 treatments where the patient is asked to focus on their past, present, and future in relation to traumatic events.

Experiential Family Therapy

Substance abuse has far-reaching consequences and family relationships can be damaged as a result. Experiential family therapy helps families impacted by addiction address issues and have difficult conversations. During an experiential family therapy session, family members will engage in activities such as role-playing, artistic expression, guided imagery, or other activities. Engaging the body and mind in different ways allows people to open up more than they might in a traditional talk therapy setting. This therapeutic approach can be particularly helpful in addressing conflict and other family issues associated with substance abuse.

Experiential Therapy Techniques

There are several different techniques, which are used during experiential therapy. They vary depending on the type of therapy being administered. Some of the most common techniques used in experiential therapy include:

Psychodrama

Also known as role-playing, psychodrama is one of the most popular techniques used in experiential therapy. During psychodrama, the person being treated for substance abuse is encouraged to reframe a past experience as a dramatic play. This may include a childhood memory or a traumatic event that relates to the root cause of their addiction.

Through role-play, individuals are able to re-experience an event and process difficult emotions in a safe environment. Participants and experiential therapists can also press “pause” on the situation in order to process what’s just occurred. Through repeated reenactments, the person gradually frees themselves from the past and develops new, healthy ways of responding to the situation.

In-Vivo Exposure

Often a person’s addiction is triggered by a specific thing, place, or situation. In-vivo exposure therapy is a form of cognitive behavior therapy that is used to reduce the fear associated with these triggers. In-vivo exposure will place individuals in situations where they are forced to face their triggers and confront uncomfortable feelings such as anger, anxiety, and depression. Through regular exposure, people learn how to cope with difficult emotions and stay in the situation without resorting to drugs and alcohol. Therefore, initial triggers become less stressful over time.

Imaginal Exposure

Similar to in-vivo exposure, imaginal exposure involves exposing individuals to mental images related to traumatic events which are often associated with negative emotions that trigger them to abuse substances. The goal is to help bring to the surface repressed memories while providing tools to help individuals process and work through difficult emotions.

Self Expression

This therapy technique uses expressive tools such as art, music, crafts, drama, writing, or another creative outlet that allows people to give voice to feelings and experiences that words cannot. Self expression can be a useful tool in helping people work through trauma and better understand the root causes of their addiction while boosting self-esteem and overall well-being.

Sensation & Body Awareness

Through sensation and body awareness, individuals are encouraged to pay attention to how their body feels when they experience certain things. This therapy technique helps people become more aware of their physical and emotional experiences, which can be helpful when working through past trauma and other root causes of their substance use disorder.

Benefits of Experiential Therapy Interventions

Experiential therapy teaches those recovering from substance use disorders how to navigate challenging emotions such as anger, anxiety, distress, fear, and shame without self-medicating with drugs and alcohol. With the help of an experiential therapist, uncomfortable feelings and other stresses are processed in a safe environment.

The healthy coping mechanisms learned during experiential therapy provide people with substance use disorders with the ability to deal with triggering scenarios in real life.

Some of the benefits of experiential therapy include:

Altered perspectives: Through psychodrama, participants learn how to see past events through the eyes of others. This allows people to gain a better understanding of other people’s motivations and their own roles in past events. For someone who is in treatment for a substance use disorder, this process can be incredibly healing. It can also promote feelings of empathy, forgiveness, and love.
Addresses co-occurring mental health conditions: At least 20% of people with mental health conditions have a co-occurring substance use disorder. A study found that individuals who engaged in equine therapy while receiving mental health treatment for conditions such as anxiety, schizophrenia, and personality disorders, reported higher levels of self-esteem and healthy coping mechanisms.
Creative expression: Participating in creative activities such as art, music, and dance provides those in recovery a safe space to work through difficult feelings and experiences that they’re unable to put into words.
Emotional processing: Participants are able to come to terms with buried emotions and past traumas that are at the core of their addiction.
Improved communication skills: Through role-play, participants are able to work through difficult interactions they’ve had in the past; developing new ways to talk about challenging emotions like anger, grief, rejection, and more.
Reduced avoidance: People with substance use disorders often use drugs and alcohol as a way to avoid uncomfortable experiences, feelings, and memories. The experiential approach allows individuals to confront and overcome these triggers in a safe environment, which in turn, can reduce the need for substance-seeking behavior.
Situational resolution: Experiential therapy helps people explore and re-experience past conflicts that may have contributed to their addiction. Through this process, they’re able to gain new perspectives, release negative emotions and ultimately, heal past trauma.
Improved self-image: An experiential approach can also help people in recovery from a substance use disorder find a greater sense of self-esteem and understanding of themselves. Experiential therapy encourages people to overcome challenges through determination and hard work, which can provide individuals with the confidence and problem-solving skills which are necessary to abstain from drugs and alcohol.

Limitations and Side Effects Of Experiential Interventions

While experiential therapy has been shown to be effective in treating addiction, there are some limitations.

It can be overwhelming at first: Learning new skills and staying present in the moment while also participating in psychotherapy can feel overwhelming at first to some people.
Difficult emotions may surface: Experiential therapy encourages participants to re-experience painful moments from their past, as a way of working through them. This can feel very daunting for some people.
It’s not suitable for all abilities: For example, some activities, such as white water rafting or hiking, may pose a physical challenge or be too strenuous for people with specific physical limitations. For similar reasons, experiential therapy is not suitable for people experiencing psychosis.
Research is still limited: While studies show that experiential therapy can be very beneficial to treating mental health conditions, research into its effectiveness in treating addiction is still rather limited. Hence, the reason an experiential approach is often paired with other evidence-based approaches.

Cost of Experiential Therapy

The cost of experiential therapy can vary depending on the location, provider, and type of therapy being administered.

Experiential therapy is frequently offered as part of inpatient and outpatient addiction treatment programs and therefore, included in the overall cost of rehab.

Insurance

Depending on your insurance plan, the cost of experiential treatment may be covered to a certain extent. Individuals may also receive coverage if experiential therapy is part of a comprehensive addiction treatment program.

Under the Affordable Care Act in the United States, substance abuse treatment must be covered under ACA insurance plans. ACA plans also can’t disqualify you for having a pre-existing substance use disorder or cap spending on addiction treatment. Many private medical insurance providers also offer addiction treatment coverage to varying degrees.

When researching which rehab options that include experiential therapy, consult your insurance provider to find out what kind of coverage is available.

Get Help with Experiential Therapy

Experiential therapy is a great option for people looking for therapies to complement their addiction recovery journey. When paired with an evidence-based addiction treatment plan that includes traditional therapy, experiential therapy can be instrumental in helping people heal the root causes of their addiction while developing the necessary coping skills they need to live a fulfilling life free from addiction.

Experiential Therapy: Definition, Techniques, and What to Expect