Okay, so I’ve been messing around with this idea of “integrative psychological services” for a while now, and I finally decided to put some of it into practice. Here’s how it went down.
Getting Started
First, I spent some time really thinking about what “integrative” means to me. It’s not just about throwing a bunch of different therapies together, right? It’s about carefully selecting and combining approaches that actually fit the person and their specific needs.
I started by reviewing some of my old case notes. I wanted to see where I might have been able to bring in different techniques, even in small ways. I noticed a few patterns where I relied heavily on, say, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), even when a client seemed to be craving something more… expressive, maybe.
The Experiment
I chose one client I’m working with – we’ll call her Sarah. Sarah’s been struggling with anxiety and some low-level depression. We’ve been doing mostly CBT, working on identifying and challenging negative thought patterns. It’s been helpful, but she still felt “stuck” sometimes.
So, this week, I decided to introduce a little bit of mindfulness practice. Nothing fancy, just a simple body scan meditation at the beginning of the session. I guided her through it, encouraging her to simply notice any sensations in her body without judgment.
- I explained the rationale – that sometimes, anxiety lives as much in the body as in the mind.
- I made sure she felt comfortable and gave her the option to skip it if she wasn’t feeling it.
- We spent about 10 minutes on the meditation.
The Initial Reactions of My Experiment
Honestly, Sarah was a little hesitant at first. She’s very much a “thinker,” so focusing on the body felt a bit foreign. But she went with it.
Afterward, we processed the experience. She reported feeling a bit calmer, more “grounded.” She even noticed some tension in her shoulders that she hadn’t been aware of before. That became a jumping-off point for us to talk about how her anxiety sometimes manifests physically.
Reflecting and Going Forward
It was a small step, but it felt significant. It wasn’t just about adding a “technique.” It was about listening to Sarah’s needs, observing where she was getting stuck, and finding a way to integrate a different approach that might help her move forward.
I’m definitely going to keep exploring this. I plan to incorporate some more creative expression exercises with another client next week – maybe some journaling or even drawing. It’s all about finding that “sweet spot” where different therapies can work together to create something more powerful than the sum of their parts. And I want to get this right, I want it can truly help somebody!
It’s a learning process, for sure. But it feels like a really worthwhile direction to be heading in. Feeling good with the progress.
