Sometimes it’s hard for parents and their children to talk about intense emotions. The goal of experiential therapy is to provide families and their children with a safe and supportive environment where they can learn to work through real life issues physically and verbally.
So what is experiential therapy? Simply put, it is a therapeutic approach that helps people process emotions through movement and experiences. Common experiential therapy examples include: art therapy, recreational, music therapy, play therapy and animal-assisted therapy.
Here are Decade2Connect, experiential therapy explores a wide range of engaging activities to help children process their thoughts and emotions. Our child therapists are particularly helpful for families and children experiencing difficulty communicating their feelings or who have been through traumatic experiences. Check out some benefits of experiential therapy below:
Encourages Self-Expression
Child therapy done through expressive and creative outlets provides children with opportunities to express themselves through various activities, such as art, play or movement, which can help them better understand their emotions.
Promotes Connection
For many children, talk therapy isn’t a safe space. Experiential therapy can help children build connections with others, both with their therapists and other peers in a group therapy setting. At Decade2Connect, we work to help children connect to themselves, their family and their community.
Develop Coping Skills
So much of child therapy involves helping clients develop coping skills when big emotions arise – experiential approaches help children practice these coping skills in real time. For example, an adolescent experiencing anxiety can practice grounding techniques with their therapist in response of activating situations.
Supports Growth and Development
Experiential therapy provides children with opportunities for personal growth and development by helping them work through challenges and overcome obstacles.
Improve Communication
Experiential therapy uses relational components and encouragement to foster and support healthy communication of thoughts and feelings.
Experiential therapy is a value support in helping children to improve their emotional and behavioral well-being. At Decade2Connect, we embrace these therapeutic approaches with our clients and see immense value in every family’s wellbeing. To learn more, connect with our team today!
