Integrative Psychotherapy offers an individualized, dynamic, and holistic approach to therapy. It integrates all the different aspects of yourself – emotional, physiological, cognitive, behavioral, and spirituality. This approach works with multiple psychological practices by carefully choosing and bringing specific techniques together from different approaches in a way that is personalized to meet the client’s individual needs in a safe, affectionate, and non-judgemental space. As with other talk therapy approaches, integrative therapy is based on conversation and it can be in person or online.
Integrative Psychology carefully integrates different approaches not only to meet the clients needs more holistically. It also strongly believes that people benefit from becoming more integrated and deeply understanding the components that contribute to their well-being and how each component affects the other. Integrative psychotherapists focus on ways to access and connect your thoughts and emotions, behavior, social skills, sense of spirituality, and physical well-being. You are a whole being, and therefore all components should always be taken into account.
It’s also important to note that Integrative Psychology is not just combining random and varied techniques. There are four different approaches; for example, assimilative integration occurs when one approach is used as the primary method and pulls in various elements of different approaches. Or the common factor approach, when the integrative psychotherapist uses aspects of multiple approaches that are the same between them.
Integrative psychotherapists are extremely flexible and will adapt their knowledge of evidence-based approaches and techniques to best suit your personality, needs, interests, and stage in life. If an approach is not ineffective or circumstances have changed, the psychotherapist can re-adapt and choose a more effective technique. Clients begin to gain a more holistic knowledge of themselves, and more access to their internal resources, which leads to real and meaningful and lasting transformation.
An integrative psychotherapist will adapt and integrate different techniques depending on the individual’s needs.
For example, if a client is experiencing a high level of anxiety, psychodynamic therapeutic practices are proven research-based treatments that help individuals with anxiety disorders manage their mental health.
When addressing behavioral issues, an integrative psychotherapist might utilize a behavioral strategy, such as role-playing.
An integrative psychotherapist might also use mindfulness of the body to help a client ground his/her attention to enhance the practice of awakening.
