HOLISTIC THERAPIES
Holistic Therapies
The world of addiction may look different to each and every client we treat. Our clients present with co-occurring disorders and a mixture of destructive behaviours, substance misuse, process addictions and trauma responses. Clients are not treated for an isolated addiction, as we know there are often other underlying addictions or clients will transfer their addictions during treatment.
In all of our programs, Armour Addiction Services believes that using is but one symptoms of addiction. At one time using was the answer to our pain, however over time it becomes a bigger and more overwhelming problem. Gabor Mate states, “The question is not why the addiction, but why the pain.” And the source of pain is always and invariably to be found in a person’s lived experience, beginning with childhood. We believe to heal from addiction and remain sober a client must address the underlying issues that led to addiction. It is not enough to be sober; we must also be happy and have a rich quality of life. Achieving this will require a Trauma-Informed program starting with a holistic base.
Holistic therapy, or holistic psychotherapy, refers to therapy that attempts to address an individual as a whole person rather than as ‘someone who is sick, just has psychological issues, or as being separated into different components.’ Another name for this kind of therapy is the bio-psych-social-spiritual model of therapy. Holistic therapy attempts to address the individual in terms of their mind, spirit, and body. We invite you to read more about our Holistic Therapies below:
Somatic therapy
The main goal of Somatic Therapy is recognition and release of physical tension that may remain in the body in the aftermath of a traumatic event. The therapy sessions typically involve the patient tracking his or her experience of sensations throughout the body. Depending on the form of somatic psychology used, sessions may include awareness of bodily sensations, embodiment practices, breathing techniques, voice work, physical exercise, movement, and healing touch. The Somatic Therapy component to the Intensive Outpatient Program program is 6 sessions. Additional sessions are available upon request and by availability. Our Somatic Therapist Geri Laurence has over 27 years working in addictions and disabilities field.
Art therapy
Art Therapy is uniquely positioned to address the neuroscience of both addiction and trauma. It does this by an integrative process. It is a sensorimotor activity – engaging all of your senses and healing through them all. The therapeutic process of art therapy has nothing to do with artistic ability but all to do with engaging the body and sensations to exteriorize and process emotions. Through an invitational approach our Art Therapist, Marnie Delanghe, guides our clients to utilize this approach of creative expression to access a deeper sense of self-awareness and healing. Our Arts Therapist Vahini Govender specializes in helping clients connect to their inner-selves through the expression of art.
Poetry therapy
The use of poetry, narratives, and other spoken media is the basis of Poetry Therapy, a form of expressive arts therapy that is used to promote well-being and healing. Our therapists will introduce existing literature as a lead up to our clients creating their own literary works to express deep-seated emotions. The clients experience a safe, non-judgmental atmosphere in which they are able to explore their written expressions and associated emotional responses. We are grateful to have Published Poet Richard Osler working with our clients.
Chronic stress & anxiety management
Focusing on present moment awareness and using the senses our clients have the opportunity to cultivate additional tools for stress and anxiety management (grounding, sensing, orienting, and centering) in their recovery.
