What Types of Therapies Are Offered at a Rehab Clinic?

Alcoholism is a complex condition with many different moving parts, and because each person is unique, several treatment approaches exist to help each patient recover on their own terms. Finding a treatment approach that caters to the individual needs and issues they face is essential to achieving the best possible results in rehab.

Engaging in activities and exercises that make a true difference involves first choosing a treatment programme or rehabilitation centre that appropriately confronts the underlying issues and concerns of each patient.

Why Choosing the Right form of Therapy is So Important

Making drastic changes to a person’s lifestyle and personal habits isn’t easy, it takes a strong will, determination, and a desire to improve. This is why it’s so essential that the patient chooses a direction for recovery that aptly reflects the current reality they are dealing with.

Counselling is at its most effective when the patient feels like they are genuinely involved in the process and listened to, and certain individuals may respond better to a given technique than another.

This means that a specific form of therapy may lead to allowing the patient to make the necessary progress that they need for recovery, and many different forms exist such as group therapy, one-on-one, counselling and more.

Why Group Therapy Can be Helpful for a Recovering Patient

Exploring core issues with those a patient can relate to offers a unique opportunity for them to express ideas they would otherwise be unable to. Finding support among peers who are going through many of the same things can have a powerful impact and positive influence on the patient that encourages them to continue pursuing their journey toward recovery.

Alcoholics Anonymous is generally viewed as one of the most common forms of group therapy, but working with a certified therapist who is leading the group is strongly recommended until a patient is comfortable enough in their sobriety to take part in groups not led by a trained professional.

What is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)?

Oftentimes, those struggling with an addiction or alcohol abuse disorder are driven to misuse their substance of choice through unconscious feelings, emotions, or thinking patterns that prevent them from living a normal and healthy lifestyle.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, also commonly referred to as “CBT,” is designed to assist the recovering patient in recognising and changing any inner thoughts or emotions they may be dealing with that leads them to continue using drugs or alcohol in a way that threatens their own well-being, personal, and professional life.

In CBT, individuals learn how to manage their stress levels and confront troublesome feelings and thoughts that hinder their ability to live a sober and productive daily life.

How Motivational Interviewing (MI) Can Help Patients Find a Desire for Change

Upon first entering a treatment programme or coming to the realisation that a problem exists, it may yet be difficult for the struggling patient to come to terms with their condition or find the will to put effort into changing their lifestyle or habits.

Motivational Interviewing (MI) seeks to address this fundamental problem by helping them to fully understand the negative impact that their condition is having on their quality of life.

These techniques help to foster a positive mindset that instils within the personal motivation for altering their behaviour and seek to make lasting transformations that rid them of the disease of alcoholism or substance abuse.

Motivational Interviewing (MI) can be a powerful tool to set patients on a successful trajectory that leads to true sobriety.

Why Contingency Management (CM) Can Be a Strong Motivating Tool

When a patient is reluctant to move forward with a strategy for recovery, finding the motivation to abstain from substance abuse through incentives and rewards can be a powerful way to push someone forward toward rehabilitation.

Contingency Management (CM) seeks to make this possible by offering small rewards for completing tasks or steps in the path to recovery, including for passing drug tests, completing programmes, or making it past a given time period without relapsing.

This positive reinforcement can help a person remain committed to their sobriety over time.

Building a Firmer Foundation Through Family Therapy

One of the key elements involved with making the shift from substance abuse to sobriety involves ensuring those closest to you support the efforts you are making to improve your life. Family therapy sessions seek to establish a positive home environment that will sustain these efforts and help the individual stay focused.

Drug and alcohol abuse is a phenomenon that affects a person’s entire family, so involving them in the recovery process can be a more dynamic and comprehensive technique for achieving results.

By allowing family members to share their input, thoughts, and emotions, it can bring them closer together with the patient while also improving the odds of true rehabilitation.

Taking A New Approach With Alternative Therapies

Aside from the most common forms of therapy typically found in most programmes, a patient may feel that they wish to take part in additional healthy activities that allow them to experience joy without the need for drugs or alcohol.

These therapeutic activities can include a wide variety of techniques but may involve yoga or meditation, physical exercise, creative activities such as painting or making music, and more. Many recovering patients enjoy spending time with animals such as dogs or even horses as a way to experience companionship or a greater sense of peace.

These approaches are generally most effective when combined alongside more traditional methods that can include any of those previously mentioned, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT).