We can all share commonalities, from the music we love to feeling anxious in new settings. However, what makes us different can be as common as what makes us similar. Therefore, looking at recovery from a singular perspective only considers the needs of people who fit neatly into that box. It is a disservice to those whose experiences and needs fall outside of the purview of a single approach. At Insight Recovery Center, we believe curating a space to discover your recovery means taking a client-focused holistic approach to care. Moreover, holistic healing is one of many inclusive therapies that is supported through an integrative approach to care.
What Is an Integrative Approach to Therapy?
According to an article from Frontiers in Psychology, an integrative perspective is having a flexible and inclusive attitude toward a variety of psychotherapies. Therefore, utilizing an integrative approach means being open to discovering what can be learned and shared through various perspectives. Moreover, there are a variety of integrative approaches your clinician can use to support you on your recovery journey.
Integrative Approaches
As noted in the article from Frontiers in Psychology, there are four possible approaches to integration in psychotherapy. Listed below are the approaches clinicians may utilize to support your recovery:
- Theoretical integration
- Focuses on bringing together theoretical concepts from multiple psychotherapeutic approaches
- Technical eclecticism
- Focuses on using components from different therapeutic approaches
- Utilizes a technique when seen as effective through positive client outcomes
- Focuses on using components from different therapeutic approaches
- Assimilative integration
- Primarily focuses on one theoretical approach
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Incorporates techniques from other therapeutic approaches when necessary
- Primarily focuses on one theoretical approach
- Common factors approach
- Puts less focus on specific effects or techniques in psychotherapies
- Socratic questioning
- Exposure
- Prefers to focus on common factors related to positive outcomes
- Therapeutic alliance
- Client expectations
- Puts less focus on specific effects or techniques in psychotherapies
Furthermore, utilizing a variety of integrative approaches can be beneficial in providing space to meet your specific needs.
Benefits of an Integrative Approach for Co-Occurring Disorders
According to an article from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), approximately 7.7 million adults in the United States experience co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders (SUDs). Of those 7.7 million people, only 9.1% receive treatment for both SUD and mental health disorders. Moreover, 34.5% of people with comorbid disorders only receive mental health care support, and 3.9% only receive substance use treatment. Whereas 52.5% of individuals with co-occurring disorders receive no SUD or mental health support at all.
There are many factors that can contribute to someone not receiving treatment for a disorder, co-occurring or otherwise. However, a lack of treatment options should never be the reason why you do not get the support you need.
As NIDA notes, 23.8% of individuals with a comorbid disorder did not receive mental health support because they did not know where to get treatment. In addition, nine percent of individuals with a comorbid disorder did not receive SUD treatment because they did not know an integrative approach was an option. These barriers to knowledge as well as the high rate of comorbid disorders, can further complicate SUD recovery.
Therefore, as noted in an article from Social Work in Public Health, integrated treatment is well suited to support conditions that are interactions between multiple disorders. Thus, your clinician is focused on using therapeutic modalities that treat the whole person. Only treating one disorder does not consider how your experiences have impacted you, which leaves little room for true healing.
Moreover, as SUD can exacerbate mental health symptoms, engaging in an integrative approach allows your clinician to meet you where you are to give you the tools and support you need to discover your recovery. In addition, as stated in an article from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), integrated treatment can support better health outcomes and support a higher quality of life for co-occurring disorders. Listed below are some of the ways that an integrated approach to care can support your well-being:
- Reduced or discontinued use of substances
- Improved symptom management for mental health disorders
- Increased ability to function in daily life
- Higher quality of life
- More housing stability
- Decreased need for hospitalization
- Reduced chance of medication interactions
- Decreased chance of encounters with the judicial system
Therefore, participating in an integrated treatment program can offer an opportunity for whole-person care that considers your needs for healing in mind, body, and spirit.
Treating the Whole Person
As noted in an article from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), treating the whole person is about helping and empowering you to improve your wellness in multiple interconnected areas. Your overall wellness is interconnected to multiple areas of your life, from biological and behavioral to social and environmental. There is a deep mind-body connection between your physical, mental, emotional, and social wellness. Factors like food choices, chronic stress, and the health of your relationships can greatly impact your well-being and recovery.
Insight Recovery Center and Person-Centered Care
At Insight Recovery Center, we believe in the value of an integrative individualized approach to care to meet you where you are on your recovery journey. With an integrative approach to care, we can offer a wide variety of holistic and evidence-based practices that you can explore in collaboration with your clinician to address your specific needs. Therefore, integrative treatment means we can provide the time and space for you to discover and build tools for a healthier you. The value in treating the whole person allows you to truly heal psychologically and physically to foster healthier strategies for long-term recovery.
Contact Insight Recovery Center Today
Your treatment plan should be built around your specific needs rather than trying to make you fit into a particular box. Therefore, an integrative approach to care can support you by utilizing approaches and techniques that meet you where you are on your recovery journey. Moreover, an integrative approach to care can support co-occurring disorders by treating the whole person as it addresses how the combination of substance use disorder and mental health disorders impacts your recovery. At Insight Recovery Center, we believe in providing an integrative individualized approach to care to support you in discovering and building tools for a healthier you. To learn more about integrative care, call us at 828.845.8325 today.