Quick Overview: The supplied sources do not establish whether individual therapy, specifically, includes relaxation techniques. They do state that psychotherapy may include mindfulness and relaxation techniques, such as meditation and breathing exercises. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health describes relaxation techniques as practices intended to bring about the body’s relaxation response, characterized by slower breathing, lower blood pressure, and a reduced heart rate. Whether a particular individual therapy service includes these practices is a question to ask the practice directly.
What the Sources Do and Do Not Establish
The National Institute of Mental Health describes psychotherapy, also called talk therapy, as a variety of treatments that aim to help a person identify and change troubling emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. Its description of possible psychotherapy elements includes applying mindfulness and relaxation techniques, such as meditation and breathing exercises.
This is a description of psychotherapy. The supplied information does not define individual therapy as psychotherapy or establish that relaxation techniques are part of every individual therapy service. It also does not establish whether a particular therapist uses a named relaxation practice.
A preliminary conversation can help a person understand how treatment may proceed and whether they feel comfortable with a therapist, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. The organization identifies questions about approach, rationale, evidence base, therapy goals, and how progress may be assessed.
Why the distinction matters
“Psychotherapy” and “individual therapy” are not treated as equivalent terms in the supplied sources. For that reason, a general statement about psychotherapy cannot confirm what is offered in a specific individual therapy service.
A direct question can provide a clearer boundary: Does this individual therapy service include mindfulness, relaxation techniques, breathing exercises, or another named practice? If so, what does that practice involve?
Understanding the Body’s Relaxation Response
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health describes relaxation techniques as practices intended to bring about the body’s relaxation response. It characterizes that response by slower breathing, lower blood pressure, and a reduced heart rate. The organization describes the relaxation response as the opposite of the stress response.
This definition explains the organization’s use of the term. It does not establish how any person will experience a practice, whether a practice will be part of therapy, or what outcome may follow from using it.
Relaxation response and breathing exercises are related but different terms
The relaxation response is a bodily response described by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Breathing exercises are one type of relaxation technique listed by that organization. Its example is focusing on slow, deep breaths, also called diaphragmatic breathing.
A therapist or practice may use these terms differently in describing an approach. Asking what a term means can help distinguish between a discussion of the relaxation response and a description of a specific practice.
Relaxation Techniques Named by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health lists progressive relaxation, autogenic training, guided imagery or visualization, biofeedback-assisted relaxation, self-hypnosis, and breathing exercises among relaxation techniques.
Progressive relaxation and guided imagery
Progressive relaxation, also called progressive muscle relaxation, involves tensing different muscles and then releasing the tension. Guided imagery involves picturing objects, scenes, or events associated with relaxation or calmness and attempting to produce a similar feeling in the body.
These are descriptions of practices named by the organization. They do not indicate that a particular therapist offers them or that they are included in an individual therapy service.
Other practices listed by the source
Autogenic training uses mental exercises involving relaxation and autosuggestion, with attention directed toward the body’s experience of relaxation. Biofeedback-assisted relaxation uses feedback, usually from an electronic device, to help a person recognize and manage bodily responses. In self-hypnosis programs, people learn to produce the relaxation response when prompted by a phrase or nonverbal cue of their own.
The organization separately notes that massage therapy, meditation, yoga, tai chi, and qigong can produce beneficial effects in the body, including the relaxation response. It distinguishes these practices from the relaxation techniques discussed in its fact sheet.
How Psychotherapy May Include Relaxation-Oriented Practices
The National Institute of Mental Health states that therapists may use one primary approach or incorporate elements from multiple approaches depending on their training, the disorder being treated, and the needs of the person receiving treatment. Its examples of psychotherapy elements include mindfulness and relaxation techniques, meditation, and breathing exercises.
The organization also lists identifying ways to cope with stress and develop problem-solving strategies, examining interactions with others and teaching social and communication skills, tracking emotions and behaviors, and supportive counseling to explore troubling issues and receive emotional support.
A broad list is not a service description
The National Institute of Mental Health’s list does not establish a standard structure for individual therapy. It does not confirm that a particular practice uses relaxation techniques, how a practice would be introduced, or whether it would be used for a particular person.
Questions about approach can keep the conversation specific: Which elements do you use? What is the rationale for the approach? What is its evidence base? How would you describe how treatment may proceed?
Practice Note: Rooted Integrative Therapy offers individual therapy. Its available practice information does not state whether relaxation techniques are used in that service. The practice lists Alina Hovsoyan, LCSW, on its About page. Its FAQs describe scheduling a consultation call as a first step, with an opportunity to ask questions and consider fit.
Reflection Questions for Clarifying Preferences
These questions are for reflection and conversation. They are not an assessment or recommendation.
| Question to consider | Question to bring forward |
|---|---|
| What do I mean when I use the word “relaxation”? | Are you referring to breathing exercises, guided imagery, progressive relaxation, mindfulness, or another practice? |
| What would I like to understand about the relaxation response? | How do you use the term “relaxation response” in your approach? |
| Am I asking about psychotherapy generally or this individual therapy service specifically? | Do you use mindfulness or relaxation techniques in this service? |
| What would I want explained about a named practice? | What does the practice involve? |
| What would I like to know about the approach? | What is the rationale and evidence base for the approach? |
Questions to Bring to a Consultation
Rooted Integrative Therapy describes a consultation call as an opportunity to ask questions and consider fit. Questions may include:
- Do you use mindfulness or relaxation techniques in individual therapy?
- Which practices do you discuss or apply, if any?
- What do you mean by “relaxation response” in your approach?
- What does a named practice involve?
- What is the rationale and evidence base for the approach?
- How do you describe how treatment may proceed and how progress may be assessed?
Frequently Asked Questions
Can individual therapy include relaxation techniques?
The supplied sources do not establish this specifically for individual therapy. The National Institute of Mental Health states that psychotherapy may include mindfulness and relaxation techniques, including meditation and breathing exercises.
What is the body’s relaxation response?
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health describes it as the response that relaxation techniques are intended to bring about. It is characterized by slower breathing, lower blood pressure, and a reduced heart rate.
Are breathing exercises considered relaxation techniques?
Yes. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health lists breathing exercises among relaxation techniques and gives slow, deep breaths as an example.
Does Rooted Integrative Therapy use relaxation techniques in individual therapy?
The available practice information does not state whether relaxation techniques are used in its individual therapy service.
How can I contact Rooted Integrative Therapy?
The practice’s Connect page invites inquiries and appointment requests through its contact details or form. Its FAQs describe a consultation call as a first step for asking questions and considering fit.
Sources and Further Reading
Sources used for this article:
- National Institute of Mental Health: Psychotherapies
- nccih.nih.gov: Relaxation Techniques What You Need To Know
A Grounded Next Step
Rooted Integrative Therapy’s Connect page invites inquiries and appointment requests. Alina Hovsoyan, LCSW, practices in person near Orem and Provo, with virtual therapy across Utah. A consultation call is described by the practice as an opportunity to ask questions and consider fit.
Please do not include urgent or highly sensitive clinical information in a general inquiry.
This article is for general education only. It is not a diagnosis, treatment plan, or substitute for individualized mental-health care. A qualified mental-health professional can help you consider what fits your circumstances.