Addiction Counseling & Therapy

The answer depends on how severe the addiction is. If the person is severely addicted, meaning that they are using daily, unable to live any semblance of a normal life, and are nearly always under the influence, then inpatient treatment is usually best, which may include a medically-guided detoxification period. 

If a person struggles with addiction and is an appropriate candidate for outpatient therapy, then there are many therapies that can be helpful. Common therapies include Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Medication Assisted Therapy (MAT), and Trauma-focused therapies.

These therapies can be effective as long as there is also a behavioral plan to address decreasing use. Clients can address underlying emotional or mental health issues, but only if they are making significant progress toward sobriety. Relapses happen, but therapy cannot work if the client is using all the time, or are high during sessions.

There are two primary areas that need to be addressed in addictions therapy. The first is the actual use itself. The therapist and client usually build plans and evaluate options to help the client reduce or eliminate use, and deal with the physical ramifications of withdrawal. 

In addition to directly addressing the use and dependence on the drug, therapy also must address any underlying mental, emotional, or relational issues that contribute to the client using. People often use to escape, so it is important to understand what they are trying to escape from. Clients often use drugs and alcohol to manage their mental health issues. So, an important part of recovery is replacing the drug/alcohol with a much healthier way to cope and manage. 

If someone is an addict, they are an addict for life. They have already proven that they are susceptible to losing their health, autonomy, and power to the substance they have become addicted to. So, the addiction itself cannot be cured. Instead, the closest thing to a cure would be sobriety. Yes, people can become sober. People can stop their use, and gain control over their addiction. No addiction is stronger than a client’s potential.

A treatment plan is a guide that a therapist and client build that leads the client from their current state to their goals. At the center of a treatment plan is the client’s goals. Once those goals are established, the therapist and client can design a method of accomplishing them. That method, known as the treatment plan, can look a myriad of different ways. 

Good treatment plans are tailored to the client. Further, good treatment plans must be done within the skills and training of the therapist. Thus, there should not be a generic treatment plan applied to clients as it ignores the individual client’s unique needs. Also, if a therapist has a particular skill, certification, or training that can be helpful to the client, that also can be integrated into the treatment plan.