Common Therapeutic Modalities
The clinical staff at Legacy Recovery Center treats clients using one or more of the following types of therapies. We understand there is no one size fits all, and will strive to custom tailor our clients therapeutic experience to the specific needs they have.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT helps people examine their recurring thoughts and eliminate the negative ones. Clients learn to recognize and change the dysfunctional behaviors that arise from their unhealthy thoughts and are taught new coping skills. CBT has shown to be highly effective in treating anxiety disorders, depression, and addiction disorders. A variation of CBT known as Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is shown to be effective in treating PTSD. CBT is also shown to be highly effective for individuals diagnosed with Schizophrenia disorders.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
A type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), CPT reduces symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that some individuals develop following a traumatic event. CPT helps the person modify negative beliefs or thoughts related to the trauma experienced. Typically this therapy begins by the therapist helping the client identify the correlation between negative thoughts from the trauma, and the emotions these thoughts trigger. Once this self-awareness is established the client will begin working with the therapist to formally process the traumatic event. This therapy can be delivered in either a group, or individual setting.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
DBT has been found to be effective in treating clients struggling with suicidal ideation/thoughts, self-harming behaviors, Borderline Personality Disorder, Addiction, and Depression. For clients who experience extreme emotions that can lead to self-destructive behaviors, this therapy would be a good option to consider. This therapy helps clients with mindfulness and staying present in the moment. It also helps clients learn how to regulate their emotions to reduce outbursts of intense emotions and actions. Furthermore, it increases client’s distress tolerance. Distress tolerance, in a simplistic sense, is the amount of discomfort or negative emotions one experiences before an emotional reaction. The greater the distress tolerance, the greater resiliency the client has when dealing with overwhelming emotions.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy
EMDR is a type of therapy most notably used to treat PTSD. It can also treat anxiety disorders; however, it is mostly used for treating trauma. EMDR must be conducted by a trained therapist as it is very specific in how it is delivered. During EMDR, clients discuss their past trauma(s) while other parts of the brain are focused on bilateral eye movements, taps or tones. This stimulus while processing the trauma will help the brain re-wire itself, or if you will, heal. EMDR is often done over a series of sessions, and requires multiple sessions to be successful. Once having undergone successful EMDR treatment, clients report that distress from the traumatic event, and triggers is reduced. Clients also report that negative belief systems formulated by the trauma are no longer present, and have been replaced with positive belief systems.
Equine-Assisted Therapy
Equine-Assisted Therapy has shown to be effective in treating addiction, grief and loss, anxiety, behavioral issues, as well as relationship issues. Equine-Assisted Therapy is conducted with a licensed therapist, as well as equine professional. The therapist and equine professional will lead the clients through a series of activities with the horses while helping clients identify certain behavioral patterns or thought patterns, they exhibit in their day to day living. The therapist will then work with the clients in a group setting helping clients to understand why these patterns have established themselves in the client’s life, and how these destructive patterns can be replaced with healthy ways of living and thinking. Additionally working with horses has been proven to reduce stress, and anxiety, as well as increase feel good hormones such as Oxytocin, and Dopamine.
Motivational Interviewing (MI)
Motivational Interviewing is an effective form of therapy for clients struggling with anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, and addiction. It is a client centered approach, and its ultimate goal is to help clients find internal motivation to change behaviors versus using external motivation to change. Clients who are unsure if they want to change their behaviors, or are completely ambivalent about change will benefit from this form of therapy. Through MI clients will learn to take responsibility for their own recovery, thus leading to action geared towards lasting change versus compliance due to external motivating factors.
Family Therapy
Mental Health Disorders, and Addiction greatly impact family systems. The stress of navigating how to support your loved one can be immense. Often times families feel lost as to what to do, or may struggle with feelings of anger and resentment toward their loved one. Families feeling this way is common. Evidence shows that when a member of a family is struggling with mental health or addiction, it disrupts the natural roles of family members in the family system and can cause chaos. Evidence also shows that when a loved one’s family is also participating in their own recovery process separate from the client, recovery rates are higher.
