Individual Therapy for Addiction Treatment in Washington

Addiction recovery is a process that comes with many challenges. While in treatment for alcohol and drug abuse, patients must have access to helpful resources. Those who are on the path to recovery will face challenges and barriers. With specialists who understand the difficulties of recovery, patients can eventually find peace and success as they move forward with the process. One of the most valuable elements of drug or alcohol addiction treatment is therapy.

Any comprehensive treatment plan for addiction recovery should include counseling. Through therapy for substance use disorders, individuals can find the healing and support they need. Therapy addresses cognitive and mental health in addition to behaviors related to addiction.

A Brief Overview of Therapy for Addiction Recovery

Therapy is a method from which patients can benefit remarkably from substance addiction treatment. Addiction therapy can encourage patients throughout the treatment process and prepare them for life outside of rehab.

One effective therapy form for patients who are overcoming substance abuse is individual therapy. This type of counseling takes place on a one-on-one basis, between a patient and a therapist.

What is Individual Therapy?

Therapy gives patients a confidential and safe environment where they can discuss all of their challenges. In these individual sessions, recovering individuals can converse directly with a treatment therapist.

While in an individual therapy session, patients can discuss their personal experiences with drug or alcohol use. They can talk about how addiction has negatively affected their lives. A therapist can work with them to identify the triggers and underlying causes of their substance addiction. This allows them to begin developing a strategy to address those issues in a healthy way.

Individual Therapy as a Part of Addiction Treatment

Patients in substance addiction treatment will start their journey with a medical detoxification process. This is the process of purging the body of all substances to relieve withdrawal symptoms and cravings. The process usually takes a week and must be done before the patient enters treatment. From there, with a clear head, the patient will enter either a residential addiction treatment program or an intensive outpatient program.

Since substance addiction affects everybody on different levels (both psychologically and emotionally), patients must have access to resources that can heal them. This is where therapy comes into play.

Individual therapy attempts to help improve both behavioral and emotional health. It works to help patients to address their individual and particular needs throughout the recovery process. Some goals of individual therapy include:

• Improving the individual’s thought processes
• Encouraging change in the lives of recovering individuals
• Providing guidance and support throughout the recovery process

If you or a loved one is suffering from alcohol use disorder or drug addiction, understand that there is hope. A comprehensive addiction treatment program can help patients find total freedom from substance addiction.

Also, remember that you don’t have to face recovery alone. With help from the treatment specialists at a rehab center like ours here at Free By The Sea, patients receive the support needed to overcome addiction.

How Does Individual Therapy Work?

As previously mentioned, individual counseling includes sessions with the recovering patient and their addiction therapist. Each week’s number of therapy sessions will depend on the program the patient is enrolled in. Still, it’s beneficial for patients to meet with their therapist various times each week to discuss various matters, which include:

• Identifying triggers
• Prior experiences
• Cognitive behavior
• Relapse prevention skills

It’s crucial to understand these components as you discover more about individual therapy. Expectations during substance addiction treatment can help make patients more comfortable throughout the entire recovery process.

Different Individual Therapy Approaches

Individual counseling helps to make patients more conscious of their thought processes. The way they think and feel affects the way they function and respond. For example, if they have negative feelings about their life, they will likely feel unworthy of help or love. They might not seek assistance or attempt to change. They may experience an enormous amount of shame or guilt. People who struggle with these thoughts could harm themselves or others. This is why therapy is so important.

A person’s therapy session may differ from another person’s session depending on the type of individual counseling being used. Some of the most common individual therapy approaches include:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Thoughts are more influential than many consider them to be. That’s why individual counseling attempts to identify dangerous and negative thought processes. Cognitive behavioral therapy, which is an element of individual therapy, works to do that exactly.

This method encourages patients to recognize and examine destructive thought processes. Again, these negative cognitive thoughts can be life-altering, impacting various areas of a person’s life. Therefore, recovery patients need to be conscious of any unhealthy patterns.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy also helps patients to replace their negative thought processes with healthy, positive ones. This enables them to focus on moving forth and building a healthier, sober lifestyle for themselves.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

Another element of individual therapy is dialectical behavioral therapy. This therapy form helps patients manage their emotions, cope with anxiety and stress, and develop healthy interpersonal relationships.

Stress is often a trigger for people dealing with substance abuse. They may turn to drug or alcohol use to deal with these triggers. For instance, they may drink after a long day at work or use drugs to disengage from the effects of an argument with a loved one. Some may use drugs or alcohol to avoid thinking about financial issues. This is a dangerous way to deal with stress.

Dialectical behavioral therapy helps people develop healthy ways to address feelings of anxiety or stress. For example, people may learn to engage in physical activity to deal with their stress. Or, they might receive encouragement to speak about their anxiety and work through the causes of their stress.

Lastly, dialectical behavioral therapy helps patients establish and maintain healthy relationships with other peers. Substance abuse can cause people to struggle for various reasons.

Sometimes, those suffering from substance abuse may become socially withdrawn and spend less time with friends to pursue using. In other situations, they may drift apart from children, spouses, or other loved ones. This can cause a lot of strain on relationships. Fortunately, however, DBT and other therapies can help people develop communication skills.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Individual therapy works to help patients in the region of acceptance. People who are suffering from substance addiction can’t control their disease. They might behave in ways they can’t control and suffer from unhealthy lifestyle patterns.

It is common for people with addiction to feel a loss of control, even when they begin the recovery process. Therapy aims to restore a sense of control to recovery patients. Sometimes though, there are things that people can’t change or govern on their own; this is where acceptance originates.

For example, it’s impossible to change or erase the past. Although many certainly wish that it was possible, it simply can’t be done. This is often difficult for people to receive, especially when their past experiences regretful events and substance abuse.

Mindfulness is a crucial element of drug and alcohol addiction recovery. It’s the act of imagining the present rather than dwelling on past events. It’s vital to note that avoiding the past is not what mindfulness aims to inspire. However, recovering individuals can benefit from moving forward without negative encounters. Learning from previous experiences is one of the most significant things people can do when seeking to improve themselves.

What are the Benefits of Individual Therapy for Addiction?

Many benefits come with individual therapy. Some of the advantages of individual counseling for substance abuse treatment include the following:

• Confidentiality – It can’t be easy to discuss challenges in a large group of peers. Individual therapy allows recovery patients to speak with their therapists without discomfort or fear freely.
• One-on-one consultations – Although group therapy is beneficial, having one-on-one time with a counselor can be more helpful in some cases. Working through challenges and difficulties alone with a therapist can be one of the most effective methods in addiction treatment. Individual therapy offers patients the opportunity to converse with a therapist without sharing time or space with other recovery patients.
• Convenience – In many cases, one-on-one therapy takes place around the schedule of the individual in addiction treatment. This is especially the case for those in outpatient rehab for substance abuse.
• More opportunity to grow – Individual therapy gives patients more time and opportunity for personal growth. Sometimes, feeling lost can stunt someone’s mental, emotional, and spiritual maturity. General group therapy can sometimes make people feel “lost in the crowd” or cause them to compare themselves to others. People can grow in these areas when they have a therapist’s undivided attention. Individual therapy provides people with someone truly who knows and cares about their particular needs.
• Individual speed – Since this kind of therapy doesn’t occur in a group setting, the pace can be altered to best meet the individual’s needs. Those in recovery can work through their journey for an extended period of time without the pressure of keeping up with others.

For those who want to overcome substance use disorder, individual therapy is a top option during the rehab process. While taking the initial step towards recovery, patients will find that particular therapy methods like psychotherapy can offer guidance and support to overcome addiction.

Free By The Sea Offers Individual Therapy

Those who are suffering from drug and alcohol addiction know it isn’t easy to reach out for help. Sometimes, guilt, shame, and even pride can prevent getting the help needed. But, for those who are ready to walk away from addiction and get back to living a happy, healthy, sober lifestyle, now is the time.

At our Washington State addiction treatment facility, we know that recovery can be a long process. We believe therapy can help people through this process, equipping them with the necessary skills for sober living. By including counseling in our addiction treatment plans, we offer our clients a real chance at freedom from addiction.

Our individual, one-on-one therapy sessions can improve one’s mental health and set an individual on the path to healing. Recovery is a process; it doesn’t happen overnight. Our mission, our goal, is to stand by your side every step of the way. We want to offer hope to you and your whole family as you pursue recovery.

Contact Free by the Sea Today!

Our treatment plan for addiction involves detox referrals, inpatient and outpatient rehab, therapy sessions, and more. We strive to provide people with the tools they need in order to become and remain free from addiction. So, whether an individual partakes in group therapy or one-on-one therapy, we will make sure they have the help they need.

Here at Free By The Sea, we treat you as a person, not an “addict”. With years of experience and many successful treatments administered, Free By The Sea has both the best specialists and methods to help people with even the most severe alcohol or drug addiction.

If you or a loved one is suffering from substance use disorder and you don’t know where to turn, we can help. Our team of specialists can answer all questions you have regarding substance abuse treatment programs and payment options. But you must take the initial step and contact us today at Free By The Sea.