Whether called psychotherapy, counseling or simply “therapy,” these treatments all share the goal of addressing the underlying causes of addiction in order to help a patient get sober and avoid relapse. 

Addiction therapy is vital because many people with addiction also have co-occurring mental health issues. In fact, an estimated 50% of all people with an addiction have at least one mental health diagnosis.

Still, even people without a diagnosis can benefit from addiction psychotherapy. Addiction changes the way that a patient’s brain works, making it tough to avoid relapsing. However, therapy can help with avoiding relapse triggers while retraining a person’s brain to enjoy life without substances.

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Addiction psychotherapy works by addressing the underlying issues causing addiction while also learning to cope with cravings. In other words, addiction therapy works by dealing with the thoughts and feelings driving addictive behaviors as well as the behaviors themselves. In this way, a patient can decrease their desire for substances while also coping with these feelings as they come up.

Throughout recovery, a patient will continue to have cravings and thoughts about drug or alcohol use. These cravings can become intense when a person is dealing with stress or significant changes in life. Thus, recovery is not a cure but a skill to maintain. Addiction therapy provides the coping skills and tools a person needs to maintain lifelong recovery.

In addition, addiction therapy works by either applying to many issues at one time or to a specific issue. For instance, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) helps a patient manage negative thought patterns. As such, these thoughts can produce low self-esteem, a lack of confidence, and thoughts of substance abuse.

On the other hand, motivational therapy targets specific issues related to engaging in addiction treatment. Therefore, it is vital that addiction therapy is based on the patient’s unique needs. At Wave Treatment Centers, we offer several options for addiction psychotherapy in Chestnut Hill for this reason.

Contact Wave Treatment Centers for additional information.

There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all addiction treatment plan. Consequently, addiction psychotherapy offers many different treatment options. These services are available at inpatient rehab, outpatient rehab, sober living facilities, private medical practices, and aftercare support groups. By having a range of options available, patients can work with a care provider to decide which option will address their needs.

The most commonly offered types of addiction psychotherapy include:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT helps patients identify the things that trigger or encourage their drug or alcohol use. Then, patients develop coping skills to either help them avoid these situations or healthily deal with them. Research shows CBT is a very effective addiction management tool and decreases a person’s risk of relapse after rehab.

• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): DBT helps people who struggle to regulate their emotions and have a history of self-harm or suicidal thoughts. This type of therapy focuses on teaching people to accept and deal with negative or uncomfortable thoughts, emotions, or behaviors. DBT treats co-occurring disorders, such as mood or personality disorders, as well as eating disorders. DBT also teaches patients relaxation techniques to become more self-aware and to control negative thoughts or urges. Over time, DBT decreases the frequency and severity of self-harming thoughts and actions.

• Motivational Therapies: Another type of psychotherapy for substance use disorder is motivational therapy. Motivational therapies focus on motivating patients to follow their addiction treatment plan. They often offer incentives to stay sober and are often used along with behavioral therapy. The most common motivational therapies are motivational enhancement therapy (MET), contingency management (CM), and community reinforcement. The goal of motivational therapies is to encourage patients to allow positive behaviors to happen naturally rather than forcing them.

• Family Therapy: Family therapy helps patients whose addiction has affected their relationship with a spouse, children, parents, or other loved ones. To add, family therapy does not only help to heal any damage that has resulted from addiction, however. It also helps to teach better communication skills and improves relationships. In addition, family therapy teaches families how to support the person in recovery and keep them accountable for their sobriety.

• 12-Step Therapy: We do not routinely recommend 12-Step therapy but will certainly work with those who find this philosophy helpful. We are predominantly a harm-reduction program, which means that abstinence is not necessarily a requirement for treatment.

Contact Wave Treatment Centers for additional information.

While every insurance plan is different, your insurance company may offer coverage for psychotherapy.

If you are considering psychotherapy, our caring staff will help you determine what your options are for insurance or other payment plans.

Contact Wave Treatment Centers for additional information.