A.T.I. DUAL-DIAGNOSIS TREATMENT CENTER

by E.H.
(Gainesville, FL)

Alternative Treatment International (A.T.I.) is an inpatient treatment center offering clinical and alternative treatments for individuals suffering from bipolar and dual-diagnosis disorders. Located in Clearwater, Florida, A.T.I. offers private, exclusive, clinical and holistic therapy. Their staff is experienced in providing a wide variety of therapeutic techniques. In addition to bipolar disorder, A.T.I. treats: addictions, depression, anxiety, cocaine, prescription and/or alcohol abuse, PTSD, eating disorders, psycho-emotional disorders, gambling and abuse with trauma. A.T.I’s philosophy? “We treat the whole person and the cause of the problem, not just the symptom."

To accomplish this, A.T.I.’s approach is using treatments that integrates mind, body, and spirit. This process includes: individual psychotherapy, group therapy, psychiatrist consultations, perception therapy, physical examinations, laboratory work, relaxation techniques, nutritional counseling and alternative healing techniques.

A.T.I. Clinical Treatments: Each patient is educated on how to manage the symptoms of their psychiatric disorder. Psychiatric evaluations and medications are provided by a psychiatrist to meet the needs of every patient if needed.

Individual psychotherapy sessions are conducted by professional therapists with extensive education and training in psychiatric, psycho-emotional and dual-diagnosis disorders. Individual sessions are designed to help patients understand their disorder and learn how to control their symptoms. Uncovering and resolving early childhood/adult trauma, understanding reasons for behavioral disorders as well as building spiritual awareness are also addressed in sessions if needed. These same provisions are also incorporated into group therapy sessions. A.T.I also assists patients when they return home by locating a psychotherapist to continue therapy with them on an out-patient basis.

Perception therapy is a model developed by A.T.I. which is integrated into their mind-body-spirit healing treatment. Perception therapy assists patients develop the self-awareness required to transform any thinking that is causing a negative impact on their lives. The basic premise of perception therapy is, “when thinking changes, behaviors change by themselves.” A.I.G believes that answers to a healthy lifestyle do not lie in behaviors but in the thinking that produces the behaviors.

A.T.I. Mind-Body-Spirit Alternative Treatments
Mind-body-spirit therapy uses individualized clinical and holistic treatment techniques to specifically address and promote the most effective, long-term healing. The following is how A.T.I. accomplishes this:

Mind treatments include: psycho, perception and living skills therapy, journaling, lectures, reading, assignments, indirect suggestion, metaphor, cinema, art, and psychodrama therapy.

Body treatments include: physical fitness, education of it and nutrition, massage therapy, acupuncture, kundalini yoga, hatha yoga, brain wave therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, perception therapy and kai chi do (energetic movements, breath, and sound to integrate body, mind, and spirit).

Spiritual treatments include: daily meditation, yoga, spiritual readings, perception therapy, deep relaxation/guided imagery and spiritual philosophy.

The goal of A.T.I. is to provide the highest quality of individualized psycho and holistic therapy to treat, “the whole person and the cause of the problem, not just the symptom.” This approach has proved incredibly successful in helping their patients strengthen their foundation for a balanced and healthy life without daily suffering or fear.