You may have heard these terms being shared around in psychoanalysis circles and in conversations of the mental health support groups that you attend: Integrative Psychotherapy. We would describe this enigma, so you will know how you can benefit from it in the future, or perhaps starting from today. Let’s start:
What is Integrative Psychotherapy?
It is a type of therapy that belongs to a school of thought that is capable of integrating different types of therapy techniques. Integrative psychotherapy or integration therapy is not limited to a single methodology, technique, and practice. The goal is to adapt and adjust to the changing needs of individuals who are affected by unpredictable mental conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, or bipolar disorder.
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Examples of Common Integrative Approach to Therapy
A common integrative approach to therapy decided from one of these different approaches(1):
Theoretical integration: This approach integrates and bridges together different models
Technical eclecticism: Careful selection of techniques from different schools of thought to address a case that is complex
Assimilative integration: There is a primary method that pulls in other pieces from different approaches that make up the bulk of integrative psychotherapy
Common factor approach: Using components of multiple approaches that are similar in those approaches.
Types of Integrative Therapy
While there are many forms of therapy to choose from(2), selecting from one of these for integration psychology can be a daunting task. The common forms are decided from these different specific types of therapy by an integrative therapist, who may draw upon depending on the situation and the problem including:
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT is an approach that focuses on identifying the recognized table patterns of negative behavior and changing the way people think that. CBT suggests that these automatic negative thoughts contribute to psychological problems.
Psychodynamic therapy: Psychoanalytic therapy incorporates psychoanalytic techniques to help people understand some of the negative unconscious forces and motivations that affect their behavior and executive functioning.
Humanistic therapy: This approach to therapy focuses on helping people achieve their full potential and better understand things that will help make them happier.
Mindfulness: It is a kind of a technique that has seen increased use in recent years that involves learning to focus on the present moment rather than worrying about the past or fretting about the future.
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The Techniques Incorporating Integration Psychology Are Used
To address a behavioral problem, an integrative therapist might use these techniques that adapt and integrate various techniques according to the individual’s needs and goals. There are psychodynamic, cognitive, and behavioral techniques available for psychotherapy integration. These are applied in a variety of formats that include individual, family, and group therapy settings.
It Helps You In What Sense
It can help in integrated psychotherapy as it includes the treatment for a number of different mental health conditions and psychological issues. These include:
- Anxiety
- Bereavement
- Depression
- Low self-esteem
- Stress
- Substance use disorders
- Trauma
It can also treat physical health issues, such as pain associated with cancer(3). Even when there is no specific diagnosis or health condition, integrative therapy techniques can help to improve relationships, experiences, and quality of life.
The Drawbacks of Integrative Psychotherapy
While integrative psychotherapy is extremely beneficial in a lot of places but similar to other therapy types it also has its drawbacks. It can be challenging for integrative psychotherapy psychologists to become proficient in each of the models they use or even some of them(4).
Some of the points in these models can be superficial and recover from each model may fail to achieve the depth of treatment that is necessary. Additionally, it’s unknown how effective or science-backed individual techniques or treatments are in an integrative psychotherapy.
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End
Many health conditions, which include physical and mental, can be treated through integrative therapy. These examples of integrative therapy treatment services include anxiety, depression, grief, pain, sleep, stress, and trauma. This is because Integrative therapy is a psychological approach that uses multiple therapeutic approaches. But if it is not according to the treatment you need, contact the Inland Empire Behavioral Group for treating conditions like PTSD, OCD, bipolar disorder, eating disorder, and depression through usual techniques like psychotherapy and psychiatric medication management or alternative methods like telehealth psychiatry.
References and Footnotes
- Zarbo C, Tasca GA, Cattafi F, Compare A. Integrative psychotherapy works. Front Psychol. 2016;6:2021. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.02021
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.02021/full
- Castonguay LG, Eubanks CF, Goldfried MR, Muran JC, Lutz W. Research on psychotherapy integration: building on the past, looking to the future. Psychother Res. 2015;25(3):365-82. doi:10.1080/10503307.2015.1014010
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25800531/
- Deng G. Integrative medicine therapies for pain management in cancer patients. Cancer J. 2019;25(5):343-348. doi:10.1097/PPO.0000000000000399
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31567462/
- Byrne A, Salmon P, Fisher P. A case study of the challenges for an integrative practitioner learning a new psychological therapy. Couns Psychother Res. 2018;18(4):369-76. doi:10.1002/capr.12185
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326841684_A_case_study_of_the_challenges_for_an_integrative_practitioner_learning_a_new_psychological_therapy
