What is Rehab Counseling?

Drug and alcohol addictions require professional assistance. Among the evidence-based techniques experts use are various therapeutic counseling approaches. So, what is rehab counseling? More importantly, how could it change your life?

One-on-One Talk Therapy Offers a Chance for Introspection

During rehab, you have the opportunity to participate in individual and group therapy. The latter helps you to regain empathy and self-esteem. It also offers you insights into the struggles of others. But what is rehab counseling that you undergo on a one-on-one basis?

All through individual therapy, you work closely with a counselor to understand your thoughts and actions as it applies to your specific addiction. This professional guides you through self-examination with questions and suggestions. In the process, you identify behaviors that contribute to drug abuse. You may also learn more about trigger problems that keep you using.

What is Rehab Counseling at a Treatment Facility?

Your therapist devises a customized treatment plan for you once you arrive. The goal is to provide you with the right mix of counseling opportunities for personal growth. Examples might include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy encourages you to identify self-defeating thoughts and actions
• Dialectical behavior therapy assists you with emotional regulation when facing situations you cannot change
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) benefits trauma patients and typically progresses quickly
• Dual diagnosis treatment provides you with the tools you need to manage a co-occurring mental health disorder
• Anger management counseling usually takes place in a group environment to help you grow in your ability to disarm anger triggers

It’s a common misconception that all rehab counseling takes place in private sessions. Depending on your needs and preferences, there are also quite a few modalities that work in a group setting. After all, what is rehab counseling if not an opportunity for the personal growth that you, the individual, need to undergo? This growth isn’t something that a general curriculum supports but instead an experience that calls for customized sessions.

Augmenting Counseling Sessions

The therapeutic setting of a rehab facility provides the right backdrop to meet your recovery needs. For example, art, music, and animal therapy can make a significant difference in the ways you process what you learn. Mindfulness-based treatment helps you to put some recovery concepts into practice. If you decide to follow a 12-Step approach, you can incorporate the changes you make in relapse prevention techniques.

In short, the counseling you receive opens the door to make needed changes. The trick here is that the therapist doesn’t tell you what you have to do. Instead, you decide what you no longer want to live with. This process puts you in charge of your recovery and keeps you motivated to continue treatment.

Reaching Out for Help

Of course, before you can take advantage of counseling in rehab, you need to reach out for help. At Beaches Recovery, friendly addiction therapists routinely help people just like you get the right counseling they need. Find out how today by calling 866.605.0532.