Introduction to Alternative and Complementary Therapies

Terry S Trepper, Anne Strozier, Joyce E Carpenter, Lorna L Hecker

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9781136416033
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Medicine
• Subtopic: Medical Theory, Practice & Reference

Discover creative new ways to facilitate the therapeutic process Therapeutic modalities that psychotherapists usually rely on--such as psychodynamic, humanistic, systems, cognitive, narrative, analytic and solution focused--are all verbal interventions. Introduction to Complementary and Alternative Therapies presents a comprehensive overview of complementary and alternative therapeutic interventions that go beyond the standard verbal approaches. The therapies presented in this book--including mindfulness and meditation, spirituality, poetry therapy, art therapy, psychodrama, dance/movement therapy, music therapy, animal-assisted therapy, and touch therapy--provide the reader with creative non-traditional modalities that are effective in conjunction with traditional treatment, or as substitutes. They may enrich talk-therapy, especially when therapists and/or clients get stuck, or they may provide healing on their own. Introduction to Complementary and Alternative Therapies explains the basics about how these nontraditional therapies work and provides vivid examples for utilizing them in treatment. Each chapter is written by an expert in the field of expertise, and includes a description of the approach, research evidence about its effectiveness, guidelines on how to use the therapy in practice, and case examples. This excellent volume also provides practitioners with a wide range of resources, including Web sites, information on state and national organizations, accrediting board info, and more. Topics in Introduction to Complementary and Alternative Therapies include:

• the mind-body relationship
• ways to integrate spirituality in counseling
• the healing components of poetry
• research studies on art therapy
• different techniques available in Psychodrama
• using body movement as a means of expressing conflicts and desires
• how music therapy promotes positive changes in the client
• the healing aspects of animals
• and much more!

Introduction to Complementary and Alternative Therapies is a horizon-expanding guide for therapists, social workers, psychologists, counselors, physicians, educators, and students.

Chapter 1

Introduction

Anne L. Strozier

Psychotherapists rely on a variety of therapeutic approaches including psychodynamic, analytic, humanistic, systems, cognitive, narrative, and solution-focused treatment. These therapies use different techniques to help clients, ranging from reflection to interpretation, education to confrontation, and mirroring to seeking solutions. Though these techniques vary a great deal, they have one thing in common: they are verbal interventions.

This book presents therapeutic interventions that are complementary or alternative to therapists’ verbal work with clients, adding depth, breadth, and creativity to therapeutic practice. These approaches rely less on verbal interventions and more on methods that utilize the client’s mind in relationship with other senses such as touch, sound, movement, and visual stimuli. Complementary and alternative approaches transcend traditional models and integrate the body and mind through a holistic therapeutic process.

WHY SHOULD I READ THIS BOOK?

Why would you want to read this book about alternative and complementary therapeutic approaches? One reason is to provide new options for you when one of your clients gets “stuck” in treatment. Complementary and alternative approaches can open up new avenues for working with clients at a roadblock. For example, imagine that your client has made progress during psychodynamic therapy, but now is reerecting defenses such as intellectualization. What can you do? You can try your usual techniques and approaches, but what if they fail? A complete change in therapeutic approaches, even for a short while, may allow your client to resolve the resistance and move forward in therapy. You may decide to use art therapy, music therapy, or mindfulness techniques. This book will explain the basics of how therapies such as these work and will provide examples for utilizing them in treatment.

Complementary approaches can also be used in conjunction with traditional therapies during the entire counseling experience. For example, if you are a cognitive therapist, you might decide to introduce poetry therapy to a client as an adjunct to therapy. Such a complementary technique can provide rich and valuable material for the therapist and for the client on the road to self-discovery and healing.

Another reason to learn about these complementary and alternative approaches is that according to recent research the most effective psychotherapeutic treatments are those that are tailored to meet the specific needs of individual clients. This means that a therapist, rather than fitting the client to match a given therapeutic approach, should select from a repertoire of therapeutic approaches to find those that will best fit that client. Reading this book will allow you to select from a greater breadth and depth of therapeutic approaches. With this increased knowledge of treatment modalities, the likelihood of finding the appropriate treatment for each client will be greatly enhanced.

Alternative and complementary modalities of treatment also challenge our thinking. These new approaches conceptualize client problems and the treatment process differently. Most of us counsel clients using well-established and well-practiced frameworks. Learning about complementary and alternative therapies opens up our thinking to be able to see new schema for both understanding and treating our clients. Thinking in these new ways helps us to continue to grow as professionals while providing our clients with innovative ways to achieve their personal goals.

Last, complementary therapies can be fun! Clients often enjoy the opportunity to grow in a new way, and likewise, we feel alive and vital when we grow professionally. Therapy is more enjoyable and probably a more successful endeavor when not only our clients but also we, as therapists, are challenged and growing.

WHAT ARE ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY METHODS?

The approaches in this book are based largely on complementary and alternative medicine, commonly referred to as CAM. CAM is a group of nontraditional medical systems, treatments, and products that are used to either accompany or replace conventional medical treatments. Complementary approaches to psychotherapy are considered part of this larger system.

CAM contains five subcategories, called domains, which help further define the objective and intent of these treatments. The five domains are: alternative medical systems, mind-body interventions, biologically based therapies, manipulative and body-based methods, and energy therapies.

Alternative medical systems are considered complete medical sciences with their origin in ancient eastern cultures such as traditional Chinese medicine and India’s medical science, ayurveda. Mind-body interventions are those therapies that help patients facilitate their own healing process through meditation, prayer, and the creative arts. Biologically based therapies are products such as dietary supplements and herbal products which contain substances found in nature that are believed to work in collaboration with the body’s own biochemical makeup. Manipulative body-based interventions are physical treatments such as massage and chiropractic manipulation that move specific body parts to facilitate a healing reaction. Energy therapies, such as Reiki and Therapeutic Touch, work to balance the energy fields that exist both inside and around the body, typically without using physical touch.

DOES ANYONE REALLY USE ALTERNATIVE/COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES?

Yes! In fact, alternative and complementary therapies are gaining popularity every year as people learn about them and the evidence of their effectiveness in treating different conditions increases. Because of the popularity and success of these therapies, the U.S. government established the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). NCCAM and the National Center for Health Statistics have tracked patients’ personal experiences with CAM therapies to understand actual usage. Between 1990 and 1997, visits to CAM practitioners increased almost 50 percent. A 2002 study found that 62 percent of adult Americans reported using at least one type of CAM therapy in the last 12 months. A 1997 consumer report found that at least $36 billion was spent by the U.S. government on CAM therapies in 1997, and at least $12 billion was spent by individuals with no insurance coverage. In 1994, legislation categorizing herbal medicines as food supplements opened the distribution markets and it has been estimated that sales of herbal products have doubled since then.

With this increased interest and availability, CAM therapies are used by diverse populations for a range of illnesses. Studies show that CAM is most often used by women, hospitalized individuals, and former smokers. CAM use is not mediated by race: studies found consistent use in Asian, black, Hispanic, and white populations. The most widely used domains, making up 95 percent of usage, are mind-body medicine (including meditation, prayer, and cognitive therapies), biologically based practices (including dietary supplements and herbal products), and body-based therapies (including massage and chiropractic manipulation). The five most common health conditions treated with CAM are back pain, head cold, neck pain, joint pain, and depression.

Medical centers and universities have joined efforts to integrate CAM therapies into conventional medical facilities. This integration not only helps make CAM accessible to the public but also provides a venue for research and education. Seventy-three medical schools now offer classes in CAM and the recently formed Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine reports that 27 of the top medical centers in the United States are collaborating on research, clinical care, and education for the advancement of CAM. MedBioWorld lists over 50 associations and organizations and over 60 professional journals dedicated to the education and practice of CAM treatments.

A great deal of research is currently underway to evaluate the effectiveness of complementary and alternative approaches. You will read about some of that research in this book.

OVERVIEW OF THE BOOK

This book will introduce you to a number of the most noteworthy complementary and alternative treatment approaches researched, developed, and implemented in recent years. The CAM approaches selected are ones that are particularly relevant to psychotherapists. Each chapter is written by a leading expert in that field and includes a description of the approach, research evidence about its effectiveness, guidelines on how to use the therapy in practice, and case examples.

We begin the book with the chapter “Mindfulness, Meditation, and Health.” The chapter includes a discussion of the mind-body relationship, citing research that demonstrates the strong influence of our mind on emotional and physical well-being. Dr. Jeff Brantley, Dawn Doucette, and Ann Lindell have written a clear and thoughtful chapter describing the research efforts in the areas of mindfulness, meditation, and methods for living a focused and aware life.

Dr. Mary Van Hook’s chapter on spirituality teaches the reader about the collaborative healing relationship between counseling and spirituality. Meanings of words such as spirituality, religion, and healing are addressed. In addition, Dr. Van Hook responds to the question of why spirituality and religion should be included in the counseling process and explores numerous ways to incorporate spirituality within counseling. Her chapter’s examples of using spirituality as a complementary intervention demonstrate the benefits that the counselor and client gain from using counseling models which stress the meaning of spirituality in the lives of clients.

Dr. Perie Longo’s compelling chapter on poetry as therapy includes her experience with poetry’s role for clients in group therapy as well as individual treatment. Many of her clients’ poems are included, which makes the chapter not only fascinating to read, but also clarifies poetry’s role as a therapeutic approach. Dr. Longo explores the healing components of poetry such as rhythm, metaphor, repetition, words chosen, form, and shape, which join together in helping the therapist frame questions to process the client’s meaning. Longo explains how clients find a voice through their own poetry.

The next chapter, which is on art therapy, is written by Dr. Laura Cherry. Dr. Cherry reassures the reader that talent in art is not a necessary component for using art therapy. Cherry not only describes research studies on art therapy but also presents very practical information such as the art materials required for art therapy. Cherry ends the chapter with a moving and elucidating case example of art therapy with a six-year-old boy with cerebral palsy.

Psychodrama, as explained by Dr. Trudy Duffy, is a therapy wherein participants act out issues from their own lives to relieve mental problems or emotional conflicts, and to strengthen interpersonal relationships. Dr. Duffy explains how the use of spontaneity and creativity encourage participants to express themselves while finding innovative ways to approach the issues in their lives. Different techniques that can be used in psychodrama, including role reversal, doubling, mirroring, soliloquy, concretizing, empty chair, future projection, and dream presentation are described. Dr. Duffy cites several case examples of psychodrama to demonstrate its versatility for use in different groups and settings.

Dr. Dosamantes-Beaudry discusses how dance/movement therapy (DMT) heals by allowing participants to work with unknown forces both within themselves and in the environment, offering a means for participants to vent negative emotions while providing a safe environment to act out these behaviors, giving an outlet to voice changes in role or status, and finally allowing clients to be an integral part of their cultural group. This chapter investigates DMT as a style of psychotherapy that uses the body as a means of expressing conflicts and desires, while promoting self development.

In the chapter that follows the one by Dr. Dosamantes-Beaudry, Jennifer Jones establishes the concept of music as a language of emotions, a therapy that gives expression to inarticulate thoughts and feelings. Jones discusses how music therapy’s unique qualities of being a social, sensory, and organized meaningful experience promote positive changes in the client with limited verbal processes.

The chapter on animal-assisted therapy, written by Dr. Aubrey Fine and Pamela Beiler, presents research regarding the healing aspects of animals in therapy, including physical and psychosocial benefits. Fine and Beiler address basic foundation strategies to consider when incorporating animal-assisted therapy in psychotherapy: animals as a social lubricant, animals as a catalyst for emotion, animals as adjuncts to clinicians, and animals as part of the therapeutic environment. Case examples of client-animal interactions as well as Fine’s research findings create a greater understanding of the benefits of animals assisting therapy.

The last chapter presents an overview of various uses of touch in therapy: touch during the psychotherapeutic process, Reiki, therapeutic touch, and even massage therapy. Dr. Anne Strozier, Catherine Randall, and Erin Kuhn describe each of these therapeutic interventions and the research studies evaluating their effectiveness. A discussion of important legal and ethical implications and considerations is included. Case examples bring touch therapies to life.

The book presents an array of resources for you: Web sites, state and national organizations, accrediting boards, and more. We hope these will provide you with enough information to further research any complementary or alternative approach that especially appeals to you. This book is intended to pique your interest, light your curiosity, and perhaps inspire you to learn more about one or two of these approaches in depth. For, while we hope that you will enjoy learning about the complementary and alternative therapies and gain much insight into them through this book, it is essential to know that this book is not intended as an in-depth training manual for the therapies presented. If you plan to incorporate a complementary or alternative approach into your current or future practice, you will need to pursue further education and training in that area. We hope you feel intrigued, excited, and challenged when reading this book, inspired to learn more about these very important complementary and alternative approaches to psychotherapy.

Chapter 2

Mindfulness, Meditation, and Health

Jeff Brantley
Dawn Doucette
Ann Lindell

INTRODUCTION

Human beings have an innate potential to realize deep awareness of their thoughts, actions, and interactions. When this awareness is experienced in each moment in a nonjudgmental way, one is said to have become mindful. Mindfulness is a consciousness that is achieved by paying attention and being present in one’s life.

For literally thousands of years, individuals in many cultures have cultivated mindfulness explicitly through the activity of meditation. Motivations for meditation practice are usually linked to the goals of healing and transformation. The practice of mindfulness meditation emphasizes nonjudgmental acceptance and interested awareness. Ancient methods of meditation aimed at developing mindfulness have evolved in Western medicine and psychology for the purposes of health and healing. Through the years, meditation practices have evolved from their original cultural and religious contexts and become available to anyone seeking enhancement to medical treatment.

In this chapter, the history of mindfulness, the role of meditation in achieving mindfulness, and the effects of mindfulness on health and healing will be discussed. Illustrative case studies and practical exercises are also included in this chapter.

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT OF MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness is an activity that directs attention and cultivates awareness in particular ways for particular purposes (Goleman, 1977; Feldman, 1998). Jon Kabat-Zinn (2003), founder of the mindfulness-based stress reduction program and a prolific writer on mindfulness, provides an operational working definition of mindfulness as “the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally, to the unfolding experience moment by moment” (Kabat-Zinn, 2003, p. 144).

The meaning of mindfulness can be clarified by breaking down the definition of mindfulness and focusing on its key words: awareness, purpose, nonjudgmental, and present moment. Mindfulness is an “awareness” that occurs when all the distractions of life are removed and one is able to fully focus on the here and now. Mindfulness is driven by “purpose” or intent to create that feeling of awareness. Mindfulness requires a “nonjudgmental” perspective similar to observation, in which one watches and does not engage. Mindfulness occurs in the “present moment,” avoiding the disturbances of the wandering mind.

Mindfulness is often associated with Buddhist teachings and is believed to be a fundamental principle across all Buddhist tr...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Halftitle
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• About the Editors
• Contributors
• Chapter 1. Introduction
• Chapter 2. Mindfulness, Meditation, and Health
• Chapter 3. Spirituality
• Chapter 4. Tearing the Darkness Down: Poetry As Therapy
• Chapter 5. Art Therapy
• Chapter 6. Psychodrama
• Chapter 7. Dance/Movement Therapy
• Chapter 8. Music Therapy
• Chapter 9. Therapists and Animals: Demystifying Animal-Assisted Therapy
• Chapter 10. Touch Therapies
• Appendix. Resources for Further Exploration
• Index