Experiential Therapy

What is Experiential Therapy?

Experiential therapy is a therapeutic approach that focuses on engaging individuals in hands-on, action-oriented experiences to help them process emotions, memories, and past traumas. This type of therapy encourages participants to express their feelings through creative activities, physical movement, or role-play, providing a different way to connect with their emotional experiences.

How Does Experiential Therapy Work?

In experiential therapy, individuals are guided through activities such as role-playing, art therapy, music therapy, or even outdoor adventures. These activities allow people to express themselves in ways that go beyond traditional talk therapy, helping them access and process deeper emotions and experiences that may be difficult to verbalize.

Benefits of Experiential Therapy

Experiential therapy can be especially effective for individuals dealing with trauma, anxiety, depression, and relationship issues. Some key benefits include:

  • Enhanced emotional expression and release.
  • Greater self-awareness and understanding of personal challenges.
  • Improved coping skills for managing emotional difficulties.
  • Stronger connection with others through shared experiences.

What to Expect in Experiential Therapy Sessions

Experiential therapy sessions may vary widely depending on the type of activity involved. Participants may engage in creative exercises like painting or sculpting, physical activities such as dance or movement, or role-playing scenarios to explore their feelings and relationships. The therapist provides guidance and support throughout the process, ensuring that the activities lead to meaningful emotional insights.

Is Experiential Therapy Right for You?

If you are seeking a more dynamic and engaging therapeutic approach that goes beyond traditional talk therapy, experiential therapy may be a good option. Speaking with a therapist trained in experiential techniques can help determine if this approach aligns with your emotional and mental health goals.

Therapists in Brighton & Hove

Browse our verified therapists — many work across a range of approaches and may be able to help.

Paul Chantry Brighton, Hove

Paul Chantry

Integrative Counsellor MBACP

We often think that we can manage on our own, but there comes a point when we need to reach out and seek support. Perhaps you are feeling anxious or depressed? Maybe you are finding life overwhelming or have a sense of sadness, hopelessness and despair? Or maybe you are feeling angry and frustrated? If you are experiencing any of these emotions then counselling can really help you to make sense of things, better understand yourself, and overcome the issues which are causing you distress. I am a qualified counsellor and member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), and I have experience of helping people who suffer with anxiety, depression, panic attacks, low self-esteem, childhood trauma, self-harm, relationship and family conflict.  If you’ve never had counselling before then finding the right therapist can be confusing and intimidating, so it’s important that you take time to find the right therapist for you. Please don't hesitate to contact me for a free initial telephone consultation so that I can find out a bit more about what's troubling you and we can explore how I can help.

BACPRegistered

Claire Baker Brighton

Claire Baker

Humanistic Psychotherapeutic Counsellor

At Clarity Counselling you will be warmly welcomed by me, Claire Baker, a fully qualified, insured and BACP-registered Psychotherapeutic Counsellor. If you are aged 18+ and are interested in starting therapy, I offer a half price, 50-minute introductory session which gives us an opportunity to meet, discuss what brings you to counselling and see how we feel about working together, with no obligation for you to commit to further sessions if you do not wish. Please visit: www.claritycounselling.co.uk for more details.

BACPAccredited

Gabrielle Lake Mitchell Brighton

Gabrielle Lake Mitchell

Integrative Counsellor

Thinking about starting counselling and looking for a counsellor, can feel daunting. So I warmly welcome you to my profile and hope that you get in touch to see if I am the right counsellor for you. There are many reasons why people seek counselling. Perhaps you are feeling lonely or disconnected from the people around you? Perhaps you would like to talk to someone about making changes in your life? Maybe you are feeling stuck, anxious or depressed, and would like a little extra support to help you through a difficult time? Perhaps you can't quite put your finger on what is wrong, and would like somewhere to express yourself and make sense of your thoughts and feelings?Whatever brings you to counselling, I will endeavour to offer you a confidential and safe space, where you can talk and explore all of your thoughts and feelings, and express them freely without judgement or opinion. Counselling can be useful in helping you to gain insight and a fresh perspective. It can help you to gain understanding about yourself and others, or help to make sense of a problematic situation. It can help you move towards acceptance, emotional freedom and healthy psychological growth.

BACPRegistered

Cerrie Lantrua Brighton

Cerrie Lantrua

Counsellor

Clients often tell me how much they value having a space where they feel understood, where they don’t have to explain their neurodivergence or justify their experiences.I am neurodivergent myself, and I’m open about that. It’s not something I see as a limitation, but as something that shapes how I understand, relate, and connect. Alongside my training and experience, this gives me a way of seeing things that often helps clients feel recognised in ways they may not have experienced before.I’m naturally creative and tend to think outside the box, which allows me to consider different perspectives and gently step into what it might be like to be you, not from a place of judgement, but from a genuine willingness to understand.At the same time, I don’t assume your experience is the same as anyone else’s. No two people are the same. A big part of what I offer is taking the time to learn what you need, how you experience things, and what support feels right for you.You are the expert on yourself. My role isn’t to tell you what to do or who to be, but to walk alongside you as you begin to understand yourself more fully.I aim to create a space where you feel safe enough to be real. Where you don’t have to mask, filter, or find the “right” way to say things. A space where you can feel seen, heard, and genuinely understood. 

BACPRegistered

Joanna Miller Brighton

Joanna Miller

Integrative Psychotherapist

I’m an accredited psychotherapist with 15 years experience.I believe that the counselling relationship should be a creative space for both parties. It should feel comfortable and open enough to be free from anxiety and pressure in which new perspectives can emerge. In my view most mental activity takes place below the level of conscious awareness and my role is to help people gain access to it and insights from it.As an accredited therapist I am affiliated with several private healthcare companies including BUPA and AXA. I have an up-to-date DBS certificate which is registered on the update service. As well as working with individual adults, including trainee therapists, I have many years' experience working with children, couples and families. I have been a university counsellor so have a lot of experience working with students and young people and have also worked in secondary schools.  

BACPAccredited

Tony Austin Brighton

Tony Austin

Integrative psychotherapist

Common feelings such as anxiety, a lack of self-worth or sadness colour our experience and often leave us feeling we have lost our way. Sometimes we can feel like our own worst enemy, giving ourselves a hard time because others can manage, so why can’t I?I chose to train as a psychotherapist after being in therapy myself. Through the process of talking with a skilled therapist I was able to reflect on how my past had shaped my present, understand myself better, value myself more and create a happier, more fulfilled life and I want to help others do the same. Nothing gives me greater satisfaction than having a client say they feel “unburdened” at the end of a session or, at their final session, seeing them leave with greater confidence ready to make the changes necessary to create the life they want.After completing my training as a counsellor at Lambeth College, I worked for an NHS counselling service in West London. I helped many clients dealing with anxiety, depression, relationship breakdown and many other common issues and seeing so many people find positive solutions fuelled my passion for therapy and I would like to help you.  I believe everyone deserves to be heard and with the right support can create positive, lasting change. Through our work together, I can help you reduce anxiety, rebuild your confidence, learn how to recognise unhelpful habits such as “people pleasing”, or “self-sabotage” and create better relationships with yourself and others.If you want to learn more about how counselling can help you, get in touch through the link at the bottom of this page and take the first step to happier, more fulfilling life.

BACPAccredited


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