Experts talk a lot about psychotherapy as the cornerstone of addiction treatment. However, people with addiction don't always understand it. Unfortunately, this means many hesitate in getting help. Even so, you can grasp why it's so important by simply learning more. This can also prepare you for undergoing psychotherapy in Idaho if you live in-state.
What Is Psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy is an umbrella term that refers to therapy. Overall, it involves various treatments for mental health issues, psychiatric disorders, and emotional problems. Since drug addiction is a mental disease, counseling is a core part of helping people overcome it.
Therefore, the main goal of therapy is to help people understand how they feel. They learn how to identify anxiety, depression, and positive emotions. By doing so, they can learn how to cope with difficult situations.
Types and Approaches to Counseling
Although people with addiction go through similar experiences and feelings, they aren’t exactly the same. For this reason, therapists use different types of psychotherapy to help them overcome addiction.
Therapy Types
The most common form of therapy is individual or one-on-one counseling. This involves one patient and one therapist. During these sessions, the therapist helps the patient dig deep into the cause of addiction. In most cases, patients feel more comfortable talking about emotions and experiences.
Group therapy involves multiple patients with similar problems. They benefit from talking with others about their problems because it shows them they aren’t alone. It also allows them to see how others resolve issues. They’ll have the opportunity to get feedback on their own thoughts and behaviors as well. In addition, they gain a different perspective that promotes change and lifestyle improvement.
Another important part of addiction treatment is family therapy. Overall, addiction is a family disease. Therefore, therapy is often necessary to rebuild relationships. The sessions educate everyone about the disease and how to communicate better.
Therapy Approaches
Therapists can use numerous techniques when employing the above therapeutic methods. For example, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most common because it aims to transform negative thoughts into positive ones. Consequently, patients develop more positive emotions and behaviors.
Additionally, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a form of CBT that helps patients adhere to acceptance and change. They learn how to stop destructive behaviors like self-injury and compulsive lying. It also helps them enhance life skills such as distress tolerance, mindfulness, and emotional regulation.
Therapists can also use interpersonal and psychodynamic therapies to help people overcome addiction. These approaches help them resolve relationship conflicts, grief, and role changes such as becoming a caregiver or mother.
What Does Psychotherapy in Idaho Look Like?
Most people think that psychotherapy in Idaho consists of lying on a couch while they speak about their troubles. While this setting is conducive to one-on-one therapy, it doesn’t apply to every type of therapy.
For family therapy, participants generally meet in a quiet, comfortable space. They could sit together or apart during discussions. However, group therapy usually occurs in spaces that are large enough to accommodate up to 12 people. Therapists do their best to avoid making the patients feel trapped.
In any case, psychotherapy in Idaho usually occurs in one-hour sessions once a week. The entire treatment could take just a few sessions or last for months to years. Overall, the duration depends on the needs of each patient.
Take Advantage of Therapy Options at Zelus Recovery
If you have an addiction, look to counselors in Boise and surrounding areas. Zelus Recovery has an addiction treatment facility for teens and young adults in Meridian. We offer a variety of therapy options, including:
- Family therapy
- Multi-systemic therapy
- Individual Therapy
- Group therapy
- Relationship therapy
At Zelus Recovery, we provide treatment to teens and young adults under 25 without disrupting their education. This is why we offer outpatient and intensive outpatient programs. We even have an early intervention program for middle school teens.
Don’t hesitate to get help for addiction. If you live in Idaho, visit Zelus Recovery for comprehensive treatment. Call us now at 208.518.0797 to begin your first courageous steps to recovery.