Clinical modality
Springfield, MO · In-person & telehealth
Holistic Therapy
Address the mind, body, and spirit dimensions of addiction recovery.
Addiction is not purely a cognitive or behavioral condition — it is a whole-person experience that disrupts the nervous system, the body, and a person's sense of meaning. Holistic therapy at MBH complements evidence-based clinical work with practices that restore balance, reduce physiological cravings, and develop long-term self-regulation capacity.
- Modalities
- Mindfulness, breathwork, meditation
- Format
- Individual + group
- Used in
- PHP · IOP · Outpatient
- Focus
- Nervous system regulation + somatic awareness
Holistic practices at MBH.
Every holistic practice at Missouri Behavioral Health is selected based on its evidence base for addiction and trauma — and integrated clinically with the core treatment program, not offered as a separate wellness side-track.
Guided Meditation
Structured meditation sessions that train attention, reduce chronic stress activation, and develop the capacity for present-moment awareness — one of the most protective factors against relapse.
Mindfulness Training
Evidence-based mindfulness practices drawn from MBSR and mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) — teaching clients to observe cravings and emotional states without being controlled by them.
Breathwork
Structured breathing techniques — including diaphragmatic breathing, box breathing, and physiological sighing — that directly regulate the autonomic nervous system and reduce acute anxiety and craving intensity.
Somatic Awareness
Practices that rebuild awareness of physical sensations and body signals — particularly important for clients whose addiction has involved years of numbing or disconnecting from somatic experience.
Stress Reduction Techniques
Progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, and other evidence-based stress reduction methods that lower baseline physiological arousal — directly reducing the chronic stress-driven craving cycle.
Nature-Based Activities
Structured outdoor experiences that leverage the research-supported restorative effects of natural environments — including mindful walking, environmental awareness practices, and outdoor group sessions when available.
The science behind holistic therapy.
The neuroscience of mindfulness in addiction recovery has advanced significantly over the past two decades. Regular mindfulness practice produces measurable neurobiological changes — including increased prefrontal cortex activation (the brain region responsible for impulse control and decision-making) and reduced amygdala reactivity (the alarm system that generates craving-related emotional responses).
Breathwork directly engages the parasympathetic nervous system through the vagus nerve — producing measurable reductions in cortisol, improved heart rate variability (HRV), and a shift from sympathetic threat-activation toward the calm, regulated state that supports recovery-oriented behavior. For clients whose nervous systems have been dysregulated for years by chronic stress, trauma, or substance use, these physiological effects are clinically significant.
Somatic awareness practices work at an even more fundamental level — rebuilding the capacity for interoception (awareness of internal body states) that addiction systematically destroys. Clients who have spent years numbing or disconnecting from their bodies often find that rebuilding this connection is one of the most transformative aspects of their treatment experience.
“The opposite of addiction is not sobriety — it is connection. Holistic practices rebuild the connection to self that makes everything else possible.”
— Adapted from Johann Hari, addiction researcher and author
Prefrontal cortex activation
Regular mindfulness practice strengthens the prefrontal cortex — the brain's executive control center — improving impulse regulation and the ability to pause between craving and action.
Improved heart rate variability
Breathwork and meditation improve HRV — a key biomarker of nervous system flexibility and stress resilience. Higher HRV is associated with better emotional regulation and lower relapse risk.
Cortisol reduction
Chronic stress is a major driver of craving and relapse. Mindfulness practices produce consistent reductions in baseline cortisol levels — directly lowering the physiological stress that fuels addiction.
Craving surfing
Mindfulness enables 'urge surfing' — observing a craving as a wave that rises and falls without acting on it. Research shows this technique reduces craving-induced use by changing the relationship to craving itself.
How holistic therapy integrates with clinical treatment.
Holistic practices at MBH are not separate from clinical treatment — they are woven into and reinforce it, creating a more complete and effective recovery experience.
Holistic +
With CBT
Mindfulness practice enhances CBT by increasing awareness of automatic thoughts before they trigger emotional and behavioral responses — giving the cognitive restructuring work more raw material to work with.
Holistic +
With DBT
Mindfulness is the foundational module of DBT — holistic sessions reinforce and deepen the core mindfulness skills taught in DBT groups, accelerating skill acquisition and real-world application.
Holistic +
With individual therapy
Somatic awareness practices developed in holistic sessions give individual therapy access to body-held emotions and trauma that purely verbal processing cannot reach — expanding the therapeutic window.
Insurance covers holistic therapy at MBH.
Holistic therapy is integrated into MBH's PHP and IOP programs and covered as part of your overall level-of-care benefits — not billed separately. We verify your coverage before treatment begins at no cost to you.
Frequently asked questions
Holistic therapy refers to practices that address the whole person — mind, body, and spirit — rather than focusing exclusively on cognitive and behavioral symptoms. In addiction treatment, holistic approaches recognize that addiction disrupts physiological regulation, embodied self-awareness, and the sense of meaning and connection that sustains recovery. Holistic practices at MBH include mindfulness training, breathwork, guided meditation, somatic awareness, and stress reduction techniques — all integrated with the core clinical program rather than offered as optional extras.
Holistic Therapy within your full treatment plan.
Therapy at Missouri Behavioral Health doesn't exist in isolation. Holistic Therapy is delivered as part of a comprehensive, individualized treatment plan — integrated with your level of care, psychiatric support, and other modalities into a unified clinical approach.
Individualized treatment plan
Your therapist collaborates with your full clinical team to ensure Holistic objectives align with your broader recovery goals.
Regular clinical reviews
Treatment plans are reviewed and updated as you progress — your therapy evolves with you through each phase of recovery.
Continuity across levels of care
As you step down from PHP to IOP to outpatient, your therapeutic relationship continues — no disruption, no re-starting.
Also Available
Other therapies at MBH.
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Admission coordinators available 24/7 — confidential, HIPAA-compliant.