When thinking about entering an addiction treatment program, therapy centered around addiction may not come to mind immediately. But addiction treatment therapy is actually an integral part of the healing process. People who struggle with addiction often discover new motivation for recovery while in therapy. It treats addiction as a disease and is designed to help people change behaviors, make healthier choices, and learn coping skills so they can live without drugs or alcohol.
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Addiction Treatment Therapy in South Florida
Therapy
Addiction Treatment Therapy at Crystal Lake Healing
There’s no universal standard for addiction treatment therapy, but a few modalities have risen to be considered the most helpful. It’s all about empowering the individual to build skills and confidence they can apply to everyday life after treatment. We at Crystal Lake Healing are committed to encouraging this type of growth and education at our beautiful South Florida treatment facility.
What is Therapy?
Most therapy is grounded in talking. Talk therapy (also known as psychotherapy) is a way to improve your life by talking about yourself with a trained professional. Many therapists teach specialized skills or encourage you to take a different perspective on the most important facets of your life.
There are many kinds of professionals licensed to work as therapists, including:
- Psychologists
- Psychiatrists
- Addiction counselors
- Clinical social workers
- Clergy
These professionals may offer one-on-one, group counseling, family, or marriage counseling. Psychiatrists can prescribe and manage medications to support healthy living with mental health conditions.
Most individual therapy sessions last for 45 to 60 minutes. Group therapy and other modalities may last longer. Therapy sessions are confidential, so you can talk about anything you choose. But the overall goal of therapy is to gain insight into yourself and how you interact with the world to drive change. Depending on the modality of therapy, you may develop and work toward specific goals that have to do with certain relationships or conditions.
How Does Therapy Help With Treating Substance Use Disorders?
There are many types of therapy and support to choose from, including care for co-occurring mental health conditions and guidance for family members affected by addiction. It may feel overwhelming when presented with all of the options, but it becomes more understandable with some education.
When considering what type of therapy to enter when you’re recovering from addiction, it helps to think critically about the purpose of therapy. Examples of what someone may experience during therapy include:
- Evaluation for co-occurring disorders.
- Treatment for conditions such as anxiety, depression, or trauma.
- Long-term planning and follow-up to prevent relapse.
If it’s still unclear what type of therapy may help best, it can be helpful to think about what you personally wish to receive from therapy. Tangible short-term benefits of addiction treatment therapy include:
- Helping you change your attitudes and behaviors about drug or alcohol use
- Teaching you how to make healthier choices
- Helping you develop coping skills and healthier patterns
- Improving your communication skills
- Developing a new perspective on your life
- Making healthier choices
- Learning coping skills to manage stress and difficult emotions
- Helping you learn to thrive without the use of drugs or alcohol
Effective treatment matters because addiction is treatable. The right therapy can support recovery, improve mental health, and reduce the risk of relapse.
What If You’re Skeptical About Therapy?
Some people think there’s no need for therapy. They may think, “How will talking about my problems make them better?”
But therapy is more than just talking to someone. Evidence-based therapies also help people learn skills to deal with difficult situations or adjust to life without using drugs or alcohol. Modalities like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) are centered on learning skills that can help you immediately. It isn’t just “talking about feelings,” but finding strategies and solutions that can be immediately helpful.
Whether people learn skills in individual or group settings, the goal is self-improvement. Therapy is also a safe space to explore your substance abuse or other issues such as trauma, grief, or life changes.
Types of Addiction Treatment Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
This therapy is a combination of talk therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). ACT focuses on accepting yourself and your feelings and situations. This method helps you move forward and make changes, even if things are stressful or challenging in your life. ACT is an excellent choice for you if you have anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and substance use disorder.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is used in many drug and alcohol rehabs. One reason is that research supports it as an effective treatment for addiction and related concerns. When you see a CBT-centered therapist, you work on changing your emotions by looking at your beliefs and thoughts. CBT is grounded in the belief that behavior is influenced by what you think and perceive. It uses practical strategies to identify triggers and support preventing relapse.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical behavioral therapy is a form of CBT developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan in the 1970s to treat Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Dialectical is just seeing that two things that seem like opposites can both be true. For example, you are doing the best you can, and you are looking to improve your life.
Dual-Diagnosis Treatment
Many people who have a substance or alcohol use disorder also have another mental health diagnosis. In fact, of the 20.3 million Americans with a substance use disorder, over 1/3 may also have an underlying mental illness. The best treatment is integrated, making dual diagnosis treatment in South Florida an effective approach to addressing both substance use and mental health at the same time.
Experiential Therapy
Experiential therapy complements traditional therapy by using activities and creative tools to connect with emotions and beliefs. Some examples are art therapy, music therapy, crafts, and pet therapy. The goal is for you to connect with emotions, such as the joy of completing a painting, hearing music that evokes memories or new experiences, or the relaxation of petting a therapy dog, and these approaches can also help manage stress during recovery. It’s also a way to learn acceptance that you did the best you could and find something satisfying from the experience rather than the outcome.
Family Support Program
Addiction, alcoholism, and mental health disorders impact everyone in a family. Family therapy can improve how your family communicates with one another and with you, solve family problems, and create a safe, supportive home environment for the whole family. If you have family support while you’re in treatment, it’s a wonderful way to start healing together.
Individual Counseling
Individual counseling (also known as individual therapy) is a process of meeting in a personal session with a licensed therapist. These sessions are entirely confidential, so you can feel free to talk about anything impacting your ability to live a fulfilled life. There are many kinds of therapists, including dialectical behavioral, cognitive-behavioral, trauma-informed, just to name a few. Depending on a clinician’s background, they can treat multiple behavioral health disorders.
Trauma-Informed Counseling (TIC)
Trauma-informed care can be confusing for people. Rather than being therapy used to address trauma specifically, it’s an approach therapists use when working with clients. Trauma can happen to anyone and is often undiagnosed. A trauma-informed therapist will work with you in a way that doesn’t cause retraumatization.
What’s the Best Addiction Treatment Therapy For Me?
Deciding on the best therapy for you can take some time. It’s helpful to understand your diagnosis – if you struggle with addiction and aren’t diagnosed with a co-occurring disorder, addiction counseling may be a good fit. The right choice also depends on your diagnosis, treatment goals, and the fit between therapist and person.
There are a few questions you can ask yourself after meeting:
- Is this a safe space for me?
- Does the therapist appear competent?
- Can I trust this person?
- Do we have healthy communication?
- What kind of therapy do they offer?
- Do they take my insurance?
In an addiction treatment program, many modalities of therapy may be employed as part of treatment.
Start Your Journey to Recovery at Crystal Lake Healing
Therapy is an important part of the process of healing from addiction. But it’s just one component of learning how to build a life that no longer includes addictive substances. At Crystal Lake Healing, our mission is to help you recover from addiction but also learn to thrive in recovery. Our comprehensive, personalized treatment programs are made to speak to every person’s needs. If someone is also dealing with a mental health condition, dual-diagnosis treatment helps the person heal from addiction while learning how to cope and live with their condition in healthy ways.
Don’t wait to get help, or for things to “get bad.” Contact us today to learn how to start healing from addiction.
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Medical Disclaimer: Crystal Lake Healing uses fact-based content about recovery treatment, addiction medicine, and behavioral health conditions in order to improve the quality of life for those struggling with drug and alcohol addiction or mental health disorders. While the information provided is researched and reviewed by licensed medical professionals, it is not intended to replace professional medical guidance, diagnosis, care, or treatment. This information should not be used as a substitute for advice from a qualified healthcare provider and/or your physician.