How Does Integrative Therapy Differ from a Singular Approach?
A simple answer to the question ‘what is integrative therapy?’ is knowing treatment involves different therapeutic techniques. An important key is recognising that each person deserves individualised care for their unique and distinct needs.
Treating a drug addiction or alcohol addiction is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Additionally, practitioners who take an integrated approach to addiction therapy do not use generic treatments. Instead, they draw from different types of therapies that address a person’s unique situation. We talk to Ted Ferguson, an integrative therapist at Help Me Stop to find out more about his approach to addiction treatment.
Integrative Therapy is an Effective Treatment Modality for Addiction
Ted is an Integrative Counsellor who draws upon theories, concepts, techniques and interventions from various therapy models. Counselling research plays a crucial part in his work with clients and he draw on valid, updated and recommended research material that guides which facilitates and informs his practice as a therapist. He is MBACP registered and has additional training in bereavement and eating disorders.
‘I work as an integrative psychotherapist at Help Me Stop in Acton, West London, a rehab centre offering both online and non-residential treatment programmes for individuals who are experiencing problematic alcohol and drug use and whose lives have become unmanageable as a consequence,’ Ted says. ‘At Help Me Stop, the therapeutic theoretical approach that myself and colleagues use in working with our clients is the Integrative Therapeutic Framework Model, which is complementary to the 12 Step programme philosophy.
‘All of the team here are qualified psychotherapists and members of the British Association for Counsellors & Psychotherapists. We believe that the Integrative approach is more effective in treating presenting problems of addiction related issues than singular approaches, as it is adaptable, flexible and more tailored to fit the client’s requirements and needs, rather than using a one size fits all purist approach to psychotherapy.
How Integrative Therapy Works
The ethos of the integrative approach to psychotherapy is to use various theories, concepts, skills and interventions from a variety of therapeutic models, such as CBT, Motivational Interviewing, Gestalt, Attachment Theory, Object-Relations, Psychodynamic, Person-Centred, Art Therapy, Transactional Analysis, Art Therapy and Psycho-education as a means of tailoring the appropriate approach to the client’s presenting problem in order to encourage and empower them to get the most out of their treatment plan and to connect with the clients needs with the maximum beneficial effect.
At Help Me Stop our clients are treated as the unique individuals that we believe them to be, which is often not visible in the initial stages of treatment, due to being obscured by the individual’s addiction, and possible underlying mental health issues. This often prevents the addicted individual having a sense of purpose in life, and so being unable to identify and achieve both short and long-term attainable realistic goals. In working with the integrative approach in therapy, we aim to help the client to overcome and manage their addiction in the process, and in doing so, enable the client to live a contented, manageable purpose driven life.
After multiple of years of working in this field I can truly say that the Integrative Therapeutic Framework Model we apply at Help Me Stop which is underpinned with the philosophy of the 12 Step Programme is by far the most powerful and effective method used in successfully treating individuals seeking help for addiction.
Addiction should not control your life. You can make the choice today to get the help you need to create the life you deserve. Contact Help Me Stop to get the support you deserve.
