Drug addiction takes a heavy toll on all aspects of life. It changes how people behave, feel and think. These effects can damage relationships and ruin careers. With high-quality addiction counseling, people with addiction can put their lives back together and learn to live without drugs.

Why Therapy Is Important

Group addiction counseling is popular in treatment centers.Drug addiction is a mental disease that strips people of control over their own bodies. They lose control of their thoughts, actions, and emotions. Mental and social factors are powerful triggers for drug use. These include stress, spending time with certain people and visiting certain places.

Detox alone leaves patients at risk for relapse because they haven’t addressed the cause of addiction. Extensive detox programs that include therapy are a step toward resolving this problem. Addiction counseling is crucial to detect and address addiction causes and learn relapse prevention techniques. It also lays a strong foundation for further rehab treatment.

The Purpose of Counseling

Addiction counseling—and detox therapies in general—help patients understand why they started using drugs. Achieving this might involve digging into past emotional issues such as abuse, grief or trauma.

Counseling also helps patients learn why they continue to use. This approach may involve assessing how they currently think and react to situations. Furthermore, therapy can address unhealthy family dynamics that lead to and promote addiction.

Many people with addiction have other mental health disorders as well. Some of these include anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder. These mental health problems feed off of each other. Addiction counseling can treat them at the same time to improve the chances of long-lasting recovery.

Addiction Counseling Methods

People’s bodies react to drug addiction in different ways. Those with addiction start using or keep using for various reasons. These and other factors are the reasons counselors use different therapy techniques. Since these methods offer many benefits, detox centers use several of them to create extensive treatment plans.

Individual therapy involves sessions between one patient and one counselor. These private meetings allow counselors to give patients their undivided attention. They work together to dig deep into addiction causes and resolve underlying issues.

Group therapy has the same goals. However, therapists lead a group of members. This setting allows patients to support each other. They also gain confidence, motivation, and comfort knowing that others go through similar problems.

Family therapy involves the patient and whoever they consider as part of their family. During sessions, therapists address relationship issues and unhealthy family dynamics. The focus of each session may switch between one family member and the family as a whole.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a technique that counselors can use in conjunction with the above methods. It involves identifying negative thoughts and learning how to think differently and positively. Changing the thought process helps patients change how they act and feel. They develop healthy habits and skills that help them stop using drugs and stay sober.

Typical Session Structure

Since there are several therapy types, there’s no single structure for addiction counseling sessions. However, each session lasts for about one hour. The first session might last a little longer than those that follow.

In the initial session, therapists and patients build trust. The counselors ask questions and allow their patients to talk. Together, they identify problems to address and set goals for the overall treatment. They may also discuss treatment methods to assist the process.

In the follow-up sessions, the therapists and patients work toward their goals. The counselors may assign homework for the patients to complete in between sessions. Examples of homework include keeping a diary and practicing skills that they’ve learned. In the next session, they review the homework and the counselors provide non-judgmental feedback.

Serenity House Detox & Recovery Provides Extensive Detox With Addiction Therapy

The extensive detox treatment that you need is available at Serenity House Detox & Recovery. We have locations in Fort Lauderdale and Jupiter, Florida. These convenient locations combine comprehensive detox center services with evidence-based addiction counseling. We offer various Florida detox center programs, including:

Don’t let addiction cause any more damage in your life. Take the first step toward putting your life together again. Begin inpatient or outpatient treatment today at Serenity House Detox & Recovery by calling 866-294-5306.