When people think of mental health treatment, the first thing that comes to mind is often individual counseling. However, there are many misconceptions about individual counseling, how it works, and if it’s effective. Regarding drug addiction and counseling, individual counseling is often the foundation of a successful addiction treatment program.
Individual Counseling For Addiction Treatment
Individuals who struggle with substance abuse didn’t develop addictions in a vacuum. Their childhood, environment, friends, family, and mental health all played a part in the development of the addiction. Individual counseling for addiction treatment helps identify which factors contributed most to the development of the addiction and how the individual can cope with these obstacles.
Does Individual Counseling Work?
Many people misunderstand what happens in individual addiction counseling. Addiction counselors are guides who exist outside of your circumstances and problems. By having distance from your situation, they can provide a perspective that no one else can. They also help point out factors you may overlook, or they can see a big picture where you might only see the details.
Counselors for addiction treatment also have years of training and experience to guide you through your session. They can recognize signs of toxic relationships, mental health disorders, and other underlying conditions. Individual counseling for addiction treatment works to identify what exactly is happening in your life, and what steps you should take to overcome your addiction.
Types of Individual Counseling
Additionally, individual counseling doesn’t necessarily just involve talking. There are many new, innovative therapy techniques that many counselors use to delve deeper than what talk therapy can accomplish. Some of these techniques include:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): counselors help clients identify unhealthy thoughts, behaviors, and emotions, and help them break the cycle to re-establish healthier mindsets. This can be talk-based, but it can also involve other activities, such as journaling.
- Brainspotting: Counselors watch a client’s eye movements as they discuss certain topics. This can help clients and counselors “unlock” painful or repressed memories so that clients can reprocess them.
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: EMDR works similarly to brainspotting, except clients perform movements or activities while recalling events. This can help them remember events more clearly without triggering symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Typically, a combination of talk therapy and innovative, somatic therapies can help clients achieve more successful individual counseling sessions.
Individual Counseling and Addiction Treatment
The only way to determine what type of counseling works for you is to speak with an addiction and mental health treatment center. If you’re ready to take the first step in your addiction healing journey, then reach out to a mental health and addiction counseling center today. The professionals there can be your guides on the road to recovery.
