What Can Individual Therapy Do For You?

In a recent article, we discussed the benefits of participating in family therapy for addiction and substance use disorder (SUD). There are many treatment methods beneficial during treatment and recovery. Many of these methods are even more effective when used together. In addition to family therapy, individual therapy sessions are an essential part of treating addiction or SUD.

At Lakehouse Recovery Center, they are an integral part of our program and curriculum. It’s beneficial for individuals to seek individual treatment for any ongoing struggles. People often begin therapy for anxiety, depression, phobias, and a number of other mental illnesses.

The Importance of Trust in Individual Therapy

The effectiveness of these sessions is ultimately dependent on the patient. A therapist can only work with what they are given. If you or someone is not being honest or fully truthful, it will hinder the success of your treatment and recovery process.

However, it’s understandable for people to feel hesitant, especially when initially beginning therapy. In a short amount of time, patients have to find a way to build trust with a complete stranger who is supposed to help them with their most intrusive struggles. The key is to have an open mind and realize that progress may come slowly. Therapy can often be a marathon, not a sprint.

Individual Sessions at Lakehouse 

Everyone who enters a treatment program with Lakehouse Recovery Center begins with one to two therapy sessions per week. When patients first enter a program, they are often fragile and feel disconnected from their bodies, reality, or current situations. Depending on the state of a patient when entering treatment, therapy sessions can be increased if clinically necessary. As time goes on within the program, those sessions may drop down to one. Still, each person consistently has one therapy session a week throughout their entire stay at Lakehouse.

Additionally, patients meet with a case manager and or counselor at least once a week as well. These sessions are a little different from the individual therapy sessions. Therapy sessions focus on the deep emotional trauma patients may be experiencing and teach coping mechanisms for cravings or triggers. Case managers and counselors will focus predominantly on a patient’s life goals, including career or school goals and relapse prevention counseling. Therapy focuses on the mental illness component, which is essential, especially in co-occurring mental illnesses.

Traditional Methods of Individual Therapy 

Some traditional methods of therapy used to treat individuals, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), include:

• Behavioral therapy: aims to change unwanted behaviors through “rewards, reinforcements, and desensitization.”
• Cognitive therapy: focuses on patterns of thinking that can be self-destructive. The goal is to “replace such thinking with a more balanced view that, in turn, leads to more fulfilling and productive behavior.” This method is common in treating several mental illnesses and is often used in conjunction with Behavioral therapy.
• Interpersonal therapy: utilizes one-on-one conversation, focusing on “the patient’s current life and relationships within the family, social, and work environments.” This approach may be a perfect way to engage, especially when breaking the ice with a new therapist, by talking about the mundane day-to-day interactions one may experience.

One of the beauties of therapy is the amount of control you have. If something isn’t working, discuss it with your therapist. If you feel you’ve hit a plateau, ask your therapist for a new fresh perspective. Whatever changes you might need to make, you should be able to make together with the clinical advice of your therapist.

Other Reasons to Consider Therapy 

Other reasons one might consider therapy include:

• High stress from job, family, or other life situations
• Observed physical changes such as irregular sleeping and eating patterns, lack of energy and enjoyment in pleasurable activities, and irritability or hopelessness
• Health care provider recommendations or exploration of treatment for family members and loved ones

In talk therapy, sometimes the most significant benefit is just being able to unload any emotional pain you’ve been holding. From that, you may begin to learn new techniques and ways to cope with the pain or stressors present in your life. To learn more about different therapies that may be of use to you, refer to the National Institue of Mental Health.

At the Lakehouse, we believe in the mindset of “if you give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day; if you teach a man to fish, he’ll eat for a lifetime.” The goal of therapy sessions is to teach you healthy alternative ways to cope with the triggers and cravings you may experience and maintain long-term recovery. We don’t just want to help you with recovery today; we want to teach you how to maintain recovery for a lifetime.

Many therapy methods are utilized when treating addiction, substance use disorder, and several other mental illnesses and co-occurring disorders. One of the essential treatments includes individual therapy, which is accompanied by many treatment methods as well. Cognitive and or behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, and exposure therapy are just a few of those methods. As individual treatment can effectively treat addiction and SUD, people will often explore therapy for many reasons ranging from long-term work stresses to post-traumatic stress disorder. Those benefits are, however, dependent on the patient’s intentional participation and the therapist’s competency. At Lakehouse Recovery Center, individualized treatment plans are created for each client, where you will receive at least one therapy session a week throughout your stay with us. To learn more about entering a treatment program, visit our websites — lakehouserecoverycenter.com and onlineaddictiontreatment.com — or call us at (877) 762-3707. Let us help you start your path to recovery today.