What Self-Injurious Behavior Is
Self-injurious behavior has many names, such as “self-harm,” “self-mutilation,” and “self-abuse.” Regardless of the name, it involves deliberate, repeated, and impulsive self-inflicted non-lethal harm. Many use self-harm as a coping mechanism for stress, depression, and also anxiety. No matter the cause, it requires self-harm treatment.
Our Treatment Philosophys
Our comprehensive and strengths-based self-harm treatment includes elements of spirituality, mindfulness, art, movement/exercise, and psychotherapy. Treatment for any disorder at Magnolia Creek includes (up to) three individual sessions a week, approximately four psychoeducational groups each day, and also weekly meetings with the staff psychiatrist, psychologist, dietitian, and clinical director. We also offer support through pharmacology when appropriate.
What We Treat
Magnolia Creek offers self-harm treatment and support for women who engage in self-harm behaviors including (but not limited to)
- Cutting skin
- Scratching skin
- Picking at skin
- Burning skin
- Punching self
- Bruising self
- Infecting self
We also provide treatment for other related disorders of impulsivity, including depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and obsessive compulsive disorder.
Goals for Therapy
Women in our self-harm treatment strive to do the following:
- Understand origins of destructive thoughts and behaviors
- Practice self-control and self-regulation skills
- Build self-esteem
- Replace maladaptive coping skills with adaptive coping skills and schemas
- Establish/identify community and familial systems of support
- Identify and appropriately practice distraction vs. self-soothing skills
Clinical Modalities
Our self-harm treatment includes therapeutic methods such as mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy, and dialectical behavioral therapy.
Recommended Reading
Freedom from Self-Harm: Overcoming Self-Injury with Skills from DBT and Other Treatments by Kim L. Gratz and Alexander L. Chapman