Alternative Practices to Accompany Traditional Therapy

Alternative Practices to Accompany Traditional Therapy

by Talia Bina, MSEd, MPhil, MHC-LP

When we think of therapy for our mental health, many imagine the classic picture: sitting across from a therapist in a quiet office, reflecting on experiences, thoughts, and feelings. While this approach can be incredibly effective, we sometimes overlook the mind-body connection—the idea that our mental state impacts our physical health, and vice versa.
Bessel van der Kolk’s book The Body Keeps the Score highlights how trauma can remain “stuck” in the body, showing up as tension, pain, or chronic stress responses. For therapy to be fully effective, alternative practices may sometimes be necessary to accompany traditional approaches. These practices focus on restoring balance between the body and mind, helping clients feel more grounded, safe, and whole.

Somatic Practices

Somatic practices focus on how trauma and stress are stored in the body. Muscle tension, tightness, and “holding patterns” often reflect the nervous system’s survival responses (fight, flight, or freeze). By noticing and releasing these physical patterns through movement, touch, or breathwork, the nervous system receives a signal that it is safe to relax.

Examples include:

Somatic Experiencing

Somatic Experiencing involves gradual awareness of bodily sensations gently discharging trauma-related tension and reducing hyperarousal, allowing emotions to be processed safely.

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy

Sensorimotor Therapy combines body awareness with talk therapy to process trauma on both physical and emotional levels. Releasing tension improves focus, emotional regulation, and reduces intrusive thoughts.

Breathwork and Mindful Movement

Breathwork and mindful movement regulate the nervous system, decrease anxiety, and foster emotional release and grounding.

Yoga and Stretch-Based Therapies

Yoga and other mindful movement practices help people reconnect with their bodies. Stretching, holding postures, and coordinated breathing encourage the release of muscle tension, signaling the nervous system that it is safe to downshift from stress or hypervigilance.

Mental Health Benefits of Yoga and Stretch-Based Therapies include lowered anxiety, improved mood, and strengthened emotional regulation. Trauma survivors gain a sense of safety and comfort in their bodies, supporting processing of difficult emotions in therapy.

Other stretch-based therapies, like Pilates or tai chi, similarly support body awareness, nervous system regulation, and emotional grounding.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture uses thin needles at specific points to release physical tension and regulate the nervous system.

Mental Health Benefits​ of Acupuncture include reducing stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression by calming hyperarousal and supporting emotional balance. By addressing both body and nervous system, acupuncture can improve focus, emotional clarity, and receptivity to therapy.

Massage and Bodywork

Massage therapy and other hands-on bodywork (like myofascial release or craniosacral therapy) help release tension held in muscles and fascia.
Mental Health Beneifts of Massage and Bodywork include activating the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing anxiety and hypervigilance. Clients often report feeling grounded, emotionally lighter, and more able to engage in therapy without being overwhelmed.

Creative Arts Therapies

Art, music, dance, or movement therapy provide nonverbal ways to express emotions, process experiences, and reconnect with the self.
Mental Health Benefits of Creative Arts Therapies include supporting emotional expression and release, reducing internalized stress, and providing a safe outlet for feelings that may be difficult to articulate.

Nutrition, Diet, and Herbal Medicine

The gut-brain connection plays a crucial role in mental health, with about 90% of serotonin—an important mood-regulating neurotransmitter—produced in the digestive system. Diet, probiotics, and certain herbs can influence both physical and mental well-being.
Balanced nutrition and gut-supportive practices have mental health benefits, including improved mood stability, reduced anxiety, and increased emotional regulation. Herbal supplements like chamomile, ashwagandha, or adaptogens may help reduce stress and promote calm, complementing therapy and body-based practices.

These alternative practices—somatic work, yoga, acupuncture, massage, creative arts, and nutrition-based approaches—are not replacements for therapy, but they can strengthen it. By helping the body release tension, downshift the nervous system, and regulate stress responses, they may create space for deeper emotional processing. This mind-body integration supports emotional regulation, reduces anxiety, and enhances the effectiveness of traditional therapy, offering a more holistic path to mental wellness. 
*Please note that not every alternative practice works for everyone in the same way. Consider consulting with your therapist and/or physician before engaging in a new physical practice. And always work with a professional who is licensed or certified in that specific alternative practice.

About the Author

Talia Bina, MSEd, MPhil, MHC-LP, is a clinician at Healing & Growth Counseling. Talia specializes in working with clients who have experienced complex trauma, often stemming from childhood trauma, narcissistic abuse, emotional neglect, and toxic relationships. While she integrates psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral approaches with her clients, she also explores with clients adjunctive therapies and practices that may positively impact their healing and growth. She believes in meeting the client where they are and creating an individualized plan together that will best support them in meeting their goals.

Interested in learning more about Talia? Check out her bio on our website here.

Interested in scheduling an appointment? Call us at (516) 406-8991 or fill out our Contact Form here.