Experiential Therapy

These therapies are founded on clear and coherent principles of dynamic and holistic human functioning. Practitioners in this section see each person as an individual with the capacity for growth and development. The therapeutic relationship between practitioner and client is seen as an essential element of therapy and an important source of learning.

Practitioners of these experiential approaches value individual subjectivity and the experience of the client as it unfolds moment by moment. Clients are supported to develop non-habitual responses, and new perceptions and abilities, in many areas of life. This involves a freeing of the individual from habitual patterns which have become fixed in the body and mind. Bodily sensations, feelings, thoughts, beliefs and spirituality are all valued and explored as interrelated aspects of how clients organize their experience. Furthermore, the therapist attends to the social and cultural context within which the individual/client lives and the life circumstances that have shaped and are shaping their thinking, feeling and acting. Therapists work with clients individually and in groups.

Experiential therapies are useful in helping people of all ages with a range of concerns, including relationship problems, unhappiness and depression, anxiety, life stress and discontent, difficulties in living and working with others, recovery from mental illnesses, and past physical and emotional trauma. Therapy may be long term or short term, with a frequency that depends on the stage of therapy and the client's needs.

Practitioners have graduated from specialist accredited courses of three to seven years duration, with experiential and theoretical training that includes supervised practice and personal therapy. Many have prior qualifications in counselling or human services. Practitioners are required to continue their professional development, supervision and personal development.

Member Associations within this Section:
Association of Transpersonal and Emotional Release Counsellors
Association of Soul Centred Psychotherapists Inc.
Australian and New Zealand Psychodrama Association Inc.
Australian Radix Body Centered Psychotherapy Association
Gestalt Australia New Zealand
Melbourne Institute for Experiential and Creative Arts Therapy
Music and Imagery (Psychotherapy) Association of Australia