Alternative behavioral therapy (ABT) is an extensive form of treatment, covering an array of techniques. When combined with clinical approaches or employed on its own, ABT may prove highly beneficial for certain patients.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapists may utilize behavioral experiments to help their patients challenge negative assumptions. Furthermore, activity scheduling and graded task assignment are used to optimize functioning and increase pleasurable or productive experiences.
Music Therapy
Music therapy is an allied health profession that utilizes music to assist people in meeting nonmusical goals such as movement, cognition, speech/language development and mental wellbeing. It can be employed in numerous settings ranging from hospitals and correctional facilities to hospices and drug rehabilitation centers – people may also receive it privately at private practice offices.
Music therapy sessions include clients creating musical improvisations on their own through singing, humming or playing instruments under some guidance from their music therapist. Receptive music therapy has been shown to increase connection and engagement while improving emotional expression and facilitating communication among peers. Helen Bonny and Walter Pahnke pioneered guided imagery with music as an additional method; clients listening to relaxing music while contemplating an image used as a point of discussion and reflection.
Receptive forms of music therapy involve rhythmically driven musical movements, such as those found in Emile Jaques-Dalcroze’s Dalcroze Eurythmics technique. Movement-based music therapy such as this helps those suffering from Parkinson disease or stroke; music therapists may also guide individuals in writing song lyrics while identifying and assessing emotions reflected within them.
Receptive music can also help those living with chronic illnesses such as cancer or multiple sclerosis improve their sense of well-being, with research showing its beneficial effect in terms of anxiety and depression relief. Listening to even minimally interactive musical performances has proven its worth for patients in these circumstances.
Music therapy aims to improve overall quality of life for its participants by creating emotional connections – this may involve considering aspects such as culture, spirituality and emotions affecting an individual. According to the American Music Therapy Association website, emotional connections may include those created between social, cultural, spiritual and emotional realms of an individual’s being.
The AMTA has made research advancement one of its primary goals and publishes two peer-reviewed journals dedicated to this field. Their annual conference provides opportunities for clinicians to network, share ideas and collaborate. Furthermore, AMTA supports advancement of education training professional standards credentialing as well as music therapy research efforts which include qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies of music therapy as a therapeutic tool.
Recreational Therapy
Recreation therapy can have an enormously positive effect on health, helping those recovering from illness or injury to build skills, improve mood, raise self-esteem and strengthen social ties through activities such as arts & crafts, sports, pet therapy sessions, dancing or drama therapy. This form of therapy may also be known as leisure or recreation therapy and includes arts & crafts projects, spending time with pets or dancing performances as therapy activities.
Recreational therapy differs from physical and occupational therapies in that its main goal is to restore functional independence for patients, while recreational therapy’s main goal is enhancing emotional and social well-being of its beneficiaries. Recreational therapies also often employ games like crossword puzzles to support cognitive function.
One study found that people with depression who participated in recreational therapy showed significantly fewer symptoms compared to those who did not receive it, possibly linked to endorphin release from the brain and increase feelings of happiness and positivity. Recreational therapy may also help patients manage isolation often associated with chronic illness or injury and boost self-esteem compared to when participating in leisure activities based on interests (as evidenced in 2018 research).
Recreational therapy and positive psychology share similar goals; both seek to enhance quality of life. Recreational therapy encourages complete absorption and focus that leads to “flow state”, helping reduce stress levels while increasing mental wellbeing.
Recreational therapy therapists must be certified as therapeutic recreation specialists, and typically employed by hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and assisted living communities, parks and recreation programs, adult day programs, adapted sports programs or school systems. Their job involves assessing clients’ strengths, needs, abilities and interests before creating a personalized treatment plan incorporating recreational activities that meet those goals and then monitoring its efficacy along with client progress over time.
Pet Therapy
Animal-assisted therapy (AAT), also known as pet therapy, involves guided interaction between patients and trained “therapy animals”. The goal is to improve mental and physical health for individuals living with certain medical conditions or disabilities – such as depression symptoms, untreated traumas, anxiety, neurodevelopmental disorders etc. This treatment method may also be useful as an additional form of support in managing symptoms associated with certain medical conditions or disabilities.
Individuals in group sessions typically interact with animals in a controlled setting. Pets should be thoroughly screened to ensure their health and behavior are acceptable; during and after interactions sanitizing handwipes may help decrease infection risks; since some patients may fear animals or have allergies, an adequate screening process should be in place prior to each pet session.
Interacting with domestic animals like dogs has been shown to reduce levels of cortisol, the hormone that contributes to stress, while increasing production of serotonin (a brain chemical which makes us feel happier). Petting an animal or playing with them has also been found to release endorphins which act as natural painkillers.
Children often respond positively to pet therapy, making them more open and willing to discuss problems at home or school with a counselor. Pets can also help reduce anxiety experienced during visits to healthcare professionals for special needs children.
Some individuals may harbor misgivings about animal-assisted therapy, including its potential risks of illness or infection from contact with animals, noise disruption in healthcare settings and costs related to pet care. But numerous studies have concluded that having pets does not increase incidences of infection or disease development; instead sanitizing hand wipes are useful in protecting against infections from dander, while calm, well-trained pets can help decrease noise pollution in counseling environments.
Animal-Assisted Therapy
Animal-assisted therapy utilizes trained therapy animals – usually dogs and cats – as part of its therapeutic interventions. Clients and therapists engage in behavioral interventions which are laid out in a treatment plan with clear goals for change and measurable objectives, similar to psychotherapy; often this form of animal-assisted therapy serves as an add-on therapy. Anyone considering it should first consult with their mental healthcare provider to ascertain if it would be suitable.
Animals that have been properly vetted and trained as therapeutic aids may improve both emotional and physical well-being for patients. According to research, people interacting with therapeutic pets exhibit positive mood changes after therapy sessions with them and an increase in self-esteem, helping reduce depression and anxiety. Furthermore, bonding between human and animal releases oxytocin, providing comfort to individuals experiencing discomfort such as those receiving physical therapy sessions.
Researchers recently conducted a study analyzing the effects of animal-assisted therapy sessions at three hospitals on the moods of psychiatric inpatients. Participants attended two weekly 1-hour group sessions of animal-assisted therapy facilitated by trained therapy dogs, and completed an evaluation questionnaire afterwards. Results demonstrated that animal-assisted therapy sessions significantly improved quality of life among adolescents admitted to acute child and adolescent psychiatry units.
Studies have confirmed these results. Erika Friedmann and Heesook Son’s review of 28 animal-assisted therapy (AAT) studies for various disorders revealed positive results of interaction with animals.
Animal-assisted therapy also has the added advantage of increasing patient motivation to take part in therapy sessions when animals are present, especially those suffering from pain or discomfort who can work harder during physical therapy sessions because the release of oxytocin motivates them to continue working harder.
Husson University animal-assisted therapy program animals undergo rigorous screening procedures to ensure they are healthy and free of disease or infection, as well as being prohibited from visiting areas that require strict hygiene measures such as the Intensive Care Unit and isolation rooms.
