Therapies (10)
One of the best ways to learn meditation is from an instructor, or you can try an instructional video or audio recording. You can also learn to meditate on your own. Here's an example of how to perform mediation at one of its most basic levels. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Try it and see how you do.
- If you're able, turn on some soothing music and keep it at a low volume. Get comfortable in your chair or on the floor. Loosen any tight clothing. Let your arms rest loosely at your side. Allow yourself a few minutes to relax. (pause)
- If your thoughts wander, just let them while gently moving your attention back to the relaxation.
- To begin, focus your eyes on a specific object in front of you, such as a tree, a picture or a candle flame. Notice its simplicity and it's beauty.
- Take time to notice your breathing, gradually slowing down the rate of inhaling and exhaling as you become more comfortable. (pause)
- Now relax and enjoy the feeling. (pause)
- Now close your mouth and relax your shoulders, easing any tension that's built up. (pause)
- Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose. Let the air you breathe in push your stomach out.
- Hold your breath as you slowly count to four. Then breathe out slowly through your mouth as you continue counting up to six.
- Breathe in (three, four, five, six).
- Hold (two, three, four).
- Breathe out (three, four, five six).
- Breathe in (three, four, five, six).
- Hold (two, three, four).
- Breathe out (three, four, five, six).
- Breath in (three, four, five, six).
- Hold (two, three, four).
- Breathe out (three, four, five, six).
- Breath in (three, four, five, six).
- Hold (two, three, four).
- Breathe out (three, four, five, six).
- Breathe in (three, four, five, six).
- Hold (two, three, four)
- Breathe out (three, four, five, six).
- Continue breathing in (four, five, six).
- Hold (two, three, four).
- And out (three, four, five, six).
- Remember, if stray thoughts enter your mind, gently return your attention to the relaxation. (pause)
- Now, as you breathe, silently and calmly repeat to yourself:
- My breathing is smooth and rhythmic. (pause)
- My breathing is easy and calm. (pause)
- It feels very pleasant. (pause)
- Once you become familiar with how basic meditation works, you may want to close your eyes and focus on the music, or you can continue to look at the object you were concentrating on.
- Continue to repeat to yourself:
- My breathing is smooth and rhythmic. (pause)
- My breathing is smooth and rhythmic. (pause)
- I am peaceful and calm.
- I am peaceful and calm.
- Continue to take deep, rhythmic breaths. Let the tension fade away each time you breathe out. Let the music soothe you. (pause)
- If you've closed your eyes, gently open them and gaze at the object in front of you. (pause)
- Return to your day – peaceful, more focused, and relaxed.
Some forms of trauma have been extremely devastating for our clients; rape, incest, abandonment, child abuse, all kinds of other sexual activities that these women can never talk about in a co-ed setting or in front of men and in order to talk about it at all, have to be in a 100% safe environment where they feel they will never be betrayed about any of these secrets they may have harbored for many, many years, but is haunting them night by night. We have specialist staff and workshops that deal with these issues so we can find a resolution to them, so it can find a place in their memory of acceptance, so they can move on.
Spiritual therapy is a highly sensitive personal subject because no body can pray for somebody else, no one can believe in a higher power for somebody else, no one can develop their perception of their creator or a spiritual persona that they want to believe in. So we encourage each person to find the level of spirituality that is right for them, but we have shown that people that do not find a peace with spirituality have extreme difficulty in recovery. It is a absolutely predominant part of issues that have to be addressed in recovery.
Emotional, mental, spiritual, social and physical needs are addressed through a wide variety of processes, including meditation, yoga, safe detoxification, family therapy, specialized trauma groups, group therapy, education groups, psychodrama, role play, experiential groups, art therapy, spiritual groups, 12-step groups/meetings and adventure-based counseling. These experiences are designed to help women cope with emotional distress, trauma, victimization, shame, grief and guilt while promoting self-worth, positive self-image, enhanced self-esteem and healthy coping skills. Women learn to confront self destructive beliefs and attitudes to develop positive behaviors and habits.
Upon admission, you will be given a thorough psychosocial assessment. The results of this evaluation, along with your interview with your primary therapist, will become the foundation of your specific treatment plan.
All of our therapists are master's level or above, fully credentialed and experienced. They include licensed clinical social workers, licensed psychologists, licensed marriage and family counselors, master's level in therapeutic recreation, licensed alcohol and drug addiction counselors, licensed professional counselors, trained equine therapists and a variety of spiritual mentors.
Recreational therapy is critical to rebuilding trust. We have many kinds of recreational therapy and most clients have had extreme trust issues in their background. And rebuilding trust for their peers, the professionals that are working with them, and indeed trusting themselves is the whole process we go through in the recreational therapies is to understand what trust is, what it means to you, when you can trust, and when you can't trust.
Nature has almost become non-existent to people that are in addiction and using because they isolate themselves. Some people here can't remember how to smell a flower; they've stopped seeing the seasons; they've stopped enjoying just the day-to-day beauty of life. So we have a lot of nature trails and nature activities involving water, just the leaves around you, just the grass that you tread on, so that they start appreciating just the gift of life itself and the five senses that they have. We try to help them restore those senses, appreciate them, so they are totally aware of everything that's going on around them because during use, they often have lost all awareness of what is actually going on around them. Their whole drive is to get to the next opportunity to find their numbing out source.
Individual therapy is critical because we have very individual care plans. In those plans, there are some traumas in your life that you can never talk to a group or even your family or friends about and it will be exclusive to you to and your professional clinician to discuss such issues. You have a choice whether to tell your story to anybody else, but in the event you can't and you never will and will never want to, individual therapy is the most precious place for you.
Group therapy is the heartbeat of any good therapy center. When you process in a group and hear the feedback and responses of others in the group, it takes you to a whole other level that you could never have thought of on your own. Through that, just the support and the camaraderie and the kinship and just the togetherness helps you break through very difficult emotional issues.
Brookhaven Retreat offers equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP) as part of our addiction and emotional wellness treatment program. EAP has proven successful in treating those with mental health issues by providing a powerful therapy for trauma and conflict resolution that incorporates teaching and practicing essential life skills.
Typically conducted in groups, a highly trained equine therapist and psychotherapist are responsible for facilitating the development of a relationship between a client and the horses.
Horses provide highly accurate feedback about personalities, attitudes and moods by mirroring human body language. The therapist observes the client interaction with the horses and helps to assess and process feelings, behaviors and patterns. A client who finds it difficult to set healthy boundaries in relationships may also allow a horse to nip at her hands or clothing. The client may misinterpret the aggressive behavior as affection, allowing the therapist to explore this misconception as a clinical issue.
With this unique therapy, talk is replaced by touch, movement and other elements not part of the traditional therapeutic environment. While riding is not incorporated into EAP, activities such as the grooming process - picking mud out of feet, untangling manes and tails and brushing the horse's coat - can help clients to work on issues such as nurturing, asking for help, isolation, dependence, performance anxiety, connection and intimacy.
EAP provides a platform for rapid, sustainable change and growth for the clients of Brookhaven Retreat, allowing them to move past the power of addiction and gain newfound independence.
Our therapies in medium are used for people that just aren't able to express their feelings with words. They've never been allowed to; they don't know the words that they need to use. And we use several mediums of art as therapy that just allow them to express, on paper, what they can't say. But by reading the artistic expression, we know where their feelings are at.