WHAT IS RESOURCE ASSISTED PSYCHOTHERAPY (RAP)?
Resource Assisted Psychotherapy (RAP) is a dynamic mental health treatment program developed by Dr. Rhonda Jessum at the Center for Integrative Behavioral Medicine.
For decades, research has demonstrated the effectiveness of particular mental health interventions which incorporate animals, art, music and nature to assist the therapeutic process. Various speciality fields evolved, such as "equine assisted psychotherapy" and "wilderness therapy". Dr. Jessum's RAP program has built upon this innovative and historic work.
For years, Dr. Rhonda Jessum recognized that individuals would greatly benefit from resource assisted mental health interventions which are more affordable and easily accessible within our traditional system of healthcare. In 2014, Dr. Jessum designed the RAP program to meet this need. RAP is designed to not only maintain gold standard treatment guidelines and evidence-based care, but was also designed to make insurance reimbursement and out of pocket expenses easier for families to navigate.
Dr. Jessum's RAP program combines various catalyzing resources together with existing evidence-based psychotherapeutic modalities, maintaining a traditional psychotherapy treatment structure. Well established longstanding psychotherapy techniques, including verbal processing and insight gained through the therapeutic relationship, continue to be the underlying key factor for facilitating positive behavioral change.
What is most unique to Dr. Jessum’s RAP program, however, is the use of various resources to creatively enhance and assist in powerful ways which have been traditionally undervalued in our system of healthcare. Despite this, we all know that most youth and adults are naturally engaged in and attracted to music, art, animals and nature. Therefore, it is intuitive that Dr. Jessum’s RAP program makes the therapeutic process a positive uplifting experience which is both inviting and intrinsically rewarding.
Participants who qualify for the RAP program are expected to learn skills to improve emotional and social intelligence, gain greater self knowledge and deeper insight, and learn to better manage mood states, solve problems, manage stress, and improve anxiety reduction and relaxation skills.
One factor where RAP is distinguished from other "assisted psychotherapy" methods in that it utilizes multiple catalyst resources, as opposed to specializing in just one. Dr. Jessum’s RAP program varies the use the following resources as catalysts to the interactive process: art, animals, biofeedback, cinema, massage, meditation, music, mindful movement, nature and yoga.
Music is a primary resource used in our youth RAP groups. We are all born with an innate capacity for appreciating music and experiencing various emotions through music. Youth are doing this all the time in a rich interchange with their inner worlds. Music taps deep inside us and offers an opportunity to explore our true selves, our deepest fears and hopes, and music offers a means to understand and cope with strong emotions.
ENROLLMENT IS NOW OPEN FOR FALL GROUPS
CONTACT DR. RHONDA JESSUM:
818-880-0250 / firstname.lastname@example.org
In addition to our weekly and bi-weekly groups at the Center for Integrative Behavioral Medicine, RAP workshops are offered throughout the year in alternative settings for equine and wilderness/nature assisted programs.
We accept most PPO insurance plans and we will be clear about how to determine your exact amount of out-of-pocket-expense so there will be no uncertainties in advance. Please contact Dr. Rhonda Jessum to arrange an intake appointment and to reserve a place in our youth RAP groups starting in early September 2017.