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If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, you know that it can be isolating and overwhelming. Willpower alone is typically not enough to overcome substance abuse issues. While there is no cure for addiction, professional treatment at a rehab facility can help. The first step in conquering addiction is simply admitting that you have a problem and need help. From there, you can find an addiction treatment center near you and begin the journey to recovery. At Beaches Recovery, you’ll find a peaceful, distraction-free facility where you can focus on breaking free from addiction. And as part of your personalized treatment plan, our treatment team will recommend individual therapy. This time-tested and widely used form of therapy can provide a safe space for you to work through the underlying causes of addiction, develop healthy coping skills, and begin to rebuild your life. Learn more about what makes individual therapy so effective and how it can be a key piece of your recovery.

Don’t hesitate to get the help you need. Reach out to Beaches Recovery today by calling 866.605.0532.

What Is Individual Therapy?

Every addiction treatment program is different, as is every patient in treatment. The most effective treatment programs create unique plans for every individual in their care. Some components of care you’ll find in these plans include:

Medication-assisted treatment – While no drugs can cure addiction, some medications can help relieve withdrawal symptoms and cravings
Group therapy – Patients learn from their peers’ experiences and build a network of support
Holistic treatments – Addiction affects both the body and the mind, and activities like yoga, meditation, and art therapy can help you heal
12-step programs – These structured sessions follow widely used principles to encourage lasting sobriety

In addition to these treatment modalities, individual therapy is a foundational building block of many addiction treatment programs because it allows patients to spend one-on-one time with a professional.

Once a patient enters treatment, they will begin working with a team of professional counselors and clinicians. At that time, the patient necessarily enters into a “quasi-treatment” contract with the facility and its staff. The staff will help the patient beat their addiction. What the patient has to bring to the table is a willingness to focus on and commit to the process. They also have to show a desire to offer up open and honest communication.

Regardless of what other treatment modalities are available in the treatment package, individual therapy is often a primary focus. In fact, a package that includes individual therapy, group sessions, and some holistic treatment options is optimal. However, it’s the individual counseling sessions where the patient does the most critical work. They can think of it as a journey of self-discovery. There’s a good chance the patient will learn things about themselves they didn’t know or recognize. Anything less and there’s a risk the treatment process will fail, at least in part.

Is individual therapy effective? According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, individual therapy provides all of the following benefits:

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It helps keep patients engaged in the recovery process
Provides incentives for sobriety
Teaches ways to change behavior
Increases necessary life skills
Treats co-occurring mental health issues
Improves problem-solving skills

When looking into addiction treatment programs, be sure to find one that offers individual therapy as part of a complete treatment plan. At Beaches Recovery, individual therapy is a foundational part of our life-changing treatment programs.

Benefits of Individual Therapy

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The Goals of Individual Therapy

The two primary goals of individual therapy are identifying causation and developing usable coping skills for recovery. Some addiction treatment experts believe it’s not always essential to identify the root causes of addiction. However, that seems to fly in the face of common sense. How could someone overcome problems they are unable to identify?

The truth is, most people enter treatment with a lot of questions but few answers. Addiction counseling offers each patient an opportunity to get answers to questions like, “Why can’t I control my urge to use drugs?” The answer is seldom as easy as saying the patient is weak. They aren’t weak: they are struggling with a disease. Addiction causes changes in the brain that make getting through the day without drugs or alcohol to feel nearly impossible. However, experienced counselors use individual counseling sessions to delve into why an individual might have turned to drugs and alcohol in the first place. The goal is to talk through possible issues until everything is on the table.

man in therapyHow do you solve a problem when you can’t identify it? The short answer is you can’t. The second goal of individual counseling is to allow patients to develop useful coping skills. Ultimately, good coping skills are the key to relapse prevention. Remember, addiction is not a curable disease. At best, one can hope to render it dormant. As long as a substance use disorder lives inside the addict, it’s bound to reappear. All it takes is a little temptation and a failure to cope with it. Good coping skills are the last line of defense against this type of relapse.

Finally, a therapist can help patients prepare for their future outside of a treatment center. They might discuss possible stressful or triggering situations and come up with strategies or a series of steps to take. During therapy sessions, counselors and patients also might talk about how to develop a strong network of support for encouragement and accountability. This sort of aftercare planning can make a significant difference in maintaining sobriety for life.

Types of Individual Therapy

Just as addiction treatment is not one-size-fits-all, every individual has different needs in therapy. There are a number of different types of individual therapy that are commonly used in treating substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health disorders. Some of the most widely used types of individual therapy include the following:

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) – This evidence-based treatment method can help patients change their thoughts and behavior patterns while promoting healthy coping skills
Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) – DBT uses some principles that are similar to those of CBT but provides a deeper focus on regulating emotions, accepting difficulty, and overall mindfulness
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) – This type of therapy addresses stress and past trauma through active physical participation that is guided by a therapist
Motivational interviewing – This approach helps patients understand their feelings about addiction and find their own motivation for changing
Contingency management – This type of therapy uses positive and negative consequences to reward or punish behavior, such as a positive or negative drug test
Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) – Patients learn how to change their perceptions of themselves and learn how to make better choices

Upon entering a treatment program at Beaches Recovery, you’ll go through an assessment process that will determine which type of therapy will help you reach your goals. Many of our patients go through more than one type of individual therapy as well as group therapy as part of their treatment plan.

Beaches Recovery – Making a Difference

At our Beaches Recovery facility in Jacksonville, Florida, we have developed effective ways to treat substance use problems. First and foremost, we choose to treat each patient as a unique individual whose addiction came about through unique circumstances. To effectively guide our patients towards recovery, we use a variety of modern treatment modalities. Each modality we employ targets a specific aspect of a patient’s illness. We offer numerous addiction treatment programs, including:

Detox at our partner detox facility, Tides Edge Detox Center– Medical detox in a safe, supportive environment
Residential drug rehab center – Learn how to live without drugs and alcohol in our peaceful inpatient center away from the distractions of everyday life
Intensive outpatient programs – Accountability and support while patients start to return to their everyday lives
Dual diagnosis treatment programs – For those who are struggling with both addiction and mental health issues
Family counseling services – If addiction has damaged relationships with loved ones, we can help
Partial hospitalization program – This level of care is appropriate for those who have finished a residential program and are ready to begin taking steps towards independence
Aftercare program – Recovery does not end when you leave treatment—instead, we’ll support you in your lifelong recovery journey

Our mission at Beaches Recovery is to help all those struggling with addiction access the care they need to achieve lasting sobriety. Learn more by reaching out to our experienced team of addiction treatment specialists today.

Find Help Today

Living with an addiction puts your life in constant peril. However, no matter where addiction has taken you, you can rebuild your life.

You have several options for recovery, including individual therapy. Choose to fight for your life by reaching out for help. We know it’s difficult to admit you are powerless over a substance. However, by showing strength, you can fully recover from any addiction, and Beaches Recovery can help. You can start the healing process by calling our addiction specialists to learn more about our treatment programs and methods. The life you were meant to live awaits you.

Contact Beaches Recovery by calling 866.605.0532 or by contacting us online, and start taking your life back from addiction today.