Many facilities offer research-based treatment as a method of overcoming various disorders. Health professionals perform peer-reviewed processes to regulate and verify these treatments, which can take years. This is all to make a great treatment plan that’s proven effective for those suffering from mental health issues. Different research-based treatments that are from the same family of treatments can even be used together to form a great treatment plan for specific mental health disorders.
What Is Research-Based Treatment?
Research-based treatment is just what the title suggests—it’s a treatment based on extensive research, testing, and a thorough understanding of what it’s treating. Most people who are trained to administer research-based treatments will need extensive educational history and a background in working with patients with specific ailments.
In the case of mental health, therapies meant to support and help the patient work through trauma, attachment issues, or other mental health disorders can be combined and specialized to their disorder. Though there are many examples of research-based treatments, the following are proven to be great treatments for trauma and attachment issues that can be combined for greater success:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- EMDR
- Brainspotting
- Neurofeedback
- Dialectal behavioral therapy (DBT)
- Individual therapy
- Group therapy
- Family therapy
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive-behavioral therapy, or CBT, is a combination of cognitive and behavioral therapies. The patient is asked to recognize their thoughts and actions and reflect on why they think or act this way. The goal is to change distressing thoughts or beliefs so the patient’s thoughts and behaviors aren’t a hindrance in everyday life. CBT is one of the most common forms of therapy.
Eye-Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)
Eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing, or EMDR, uses a combination of talk therapy and the processing of images to treat trauma in patients. EMDR is also very helpful in treating PTSD-related conditions and can be combined with other therapies to help a patient process their trauma.
Brainspotting
Brainspotting uses talk therapy aspects along with the observation of eye movements to help patients find brainspots—sensory or visual trauma points—the patient can then talk through. The therapist will talk to the patient and hold a pointer in specific positions the therapist has determined are brainspots that help the patient access emotions or memories more acutely. The patient will then be able to explain and explore specific feelings related to their trauma.
Neurofeedback
Neurofeedback is talk therapy combined with incredible technology that allows the patient to see the firing of neurons and the neural pathways their thoughts take in the brain. The therapist will talk them through their current neural pathways to help them learn to navigate their thoughts and responses in healthy ways, thereby rewiring those neural pathways.
Dialectal Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
Dialectal behavioral therapy, or DBT, was originally designed by women, for women. DBT is the processing of thoughts and actions in an educational sense, which then shows the patient that they deserve to be happy and how to only give energy to things that will make them happy. The patient is tasked with accepting themselves and their lives and focusing on improving their surroundings to find calm and peace.
Individual Therapy
This can also be called psychotherapy or talk therapy. Individual therapy allows the patient to talk one-on-one with a therapist and discuss anything the patient wants. The therapist will use their training and resources to guide the conversation and prompt the client to self-exploration. The therapist also encourages the patient to try different healthy habits that will help ease the problems they express to the therapist.
Group Therapy
Group therapy is like individual therapy, but it’s performed in a group. This gives the patients the chance to speak with others who may have similar experiences and feel heard and understood among a group. The therapist might pose questions or ask the group if they’d like to share or reflect on anything said. This is a chance for personal growth and bonding with others. Group therapy can feel intimidating for some, but it’s the therapist’s job to make the space feel welcoming to all who participate.
Family Therapy
Family therapy is like individual and group therapy where a therapist will lead the conversation, but the focus is on the family. Family therapy is a great way for all those in the family to feel heard, and learn better strategies for communication and boundaries. Family therapy can feel intimidating as well, and it’s the family’s job to grow from family therapy rather than take offense or dole out consequences for shared feelings in family therapy. This is a safe and structured way for families to heal from trauma.
All of these therapeutic options can be combined and tailored for specific traumas or mental health disorders. For patients who’ve experienced trauma, attachment issues, or other mental health disorders, these therapies may be right for you.
If you or a loved one, particularly your teen daughter, have severe trauma to work through, call Havenwood Academy today. At Havenwood Academy, we understand that finding treatment for victims of severe trauma can be difficult and heartbreaking. We are a long-term residential treatment center with trained professionals who help teen girls cope with mental health and trauma every day. We offer all of the treatments listed above, and our skilled staff can help your daughter by using the combination that works best for your daughter to help her through her trauma, attachment issues, and other co-occurring mental health disorders. We take Medicaid Insurance, Adoption Assistance Funding, and Individualized Education Plans for anyone who needs long-term placement with us. We know placement can be scary for families, so we offer family therapy to help establish that family connection and help families through these tough times. Call us today at (435) 586-2500 for more information.
Think Havenwood Might Be For You?
We encourage any visitors considering placing their daughter in treatment to fill out our online assessment as soon as possible. This two minute form will give our admissions team all the information needed to determine if your daughter is a good fit for our program.
Eric Allred was born and raised in Rigby, Idaho. He grew up on a family farm where he learned the value of work. He graduated from Rigby High School and attended Rick’s College, now known as BYU-Idaho. He received his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Utah State University, received a master’s degree in organizational behavior and human relations from the University of Phoenix and a second master’s degree in marital and family therapy from Phillips Graduate Institute. Eric has been involved in Rotary and was president of a local Rotary Club. He enjoys being with his family and doing outdoor activities such as fly fishing.
Chase was very fortunate to start in this industry as a struggling 17 year old kid looking for a mentor and something to be passionate about. Wilderness therapy was Chase’s first stop in this industry and was truly a transcendental experience for him. Chase has an enormous love for this line of work and the power that it has in creating change in everyone involved. Chase’s biggest belief is the power a mentor, strong, healthy relationships, and accountability can have on anyone, especially youth. Taking a very relational approach to his work, Chase has always been very relatable to the students he works with. Being able to understand and relate to a vast variety of the same struggles as a lot of the students he works with has been able to help him continue to grow, learn, and teach. Chase believes that with great rapport and trust, he can use his experience to continue to coach and train new staff, and has the ability to find those staff with the passion for this industry, and help them grow. His love and passion can be felt the moment you talk with Chase about this industry and he passes that on to others he works with. In his spare time you will find Chase cheering for the Eagles, Yankees, and Mavericks, hanging out with his brother, learning more about Eastern Psychology, and continuing to grow and learn.