Individual Therapy
Table of Contents
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as one in seven Americans struggle with a substance abuse disorder. Addiction crosses every race, educational level, age, and socioeconomic group, and addiction’s causes vary from one person to the next. The sustained use of drugs or alcohol can cause long-term health effects.
However, addiction isn’t a lack of willpower. It’s a mental health disorder and requires therapy to enjoy recovery and lead a sober lifestyle. Many people who struggle with substance abuse disorder also have a co-occurring disorder, and both of the conditions require treatment for the person to recover. There are many approaches to therapy, from group therapy to individual psychotherapy in San Diego.
This guide examines the types of individual therapies available in San Diego and the benefits of these therapies:
Therapy for Substance Use in San Diego
When a person struggles with substance abuse disorder or mental health condition, they need therapy to examine the reasons why they became addicted and find new ways of dealing with those reasons. Individual therapy in San Diego provides the person with the chance to work with a therapist one on one.
Pacific Palms is an outpatient treatment center in San Diego dedicated to helping patients overcome their addictions and build a more sober lifestyle. The center’s detailed process allows the patient to take the steps needed for recovery.
Benefits of Individual Therapy
When a person struggling with addiction begins to take the first steps to recovery, they need to decide on the type of therapy that will work best for them. Individual therapy in San Diego comes with many benefits for a person struggling with substance abuse disorder, such as:
- Safe, non-judgmental space to discuss their feelings, traumas, and relationship issues
- Help the person gain self-perspective
- Builds new ways of coping with stress
- Identify triggers that lead to drug or alcohol use and develop new ways of dealing with these triggers
- Make improvements to self-esteem and self-confidence
- Relive trauma in a safe environment and process these events
- Learn to set and maintain healthy boundaries in a relationship
- Change negative thought patterns and destructive behavior
- Overcome fears and learn new ways to approach anxiety-ridden situations
- Strengthen bonds and understanding of the most influential people in a patient's life
- Learn new ways to express thoughts, needs, and feeling without anger or recrimination
- Explore and heal emotional wounds
- Create new ways of dealing with moods and negative feelings
- Build new skills for personal interactions
There are many benefits to individual therapy sessions in San Diego. The time spent in individual therapy is between the patient and the mental health professional, and it’s spent concentrating on the patient’s needs. While group therapy is an option, it doesn’t offer the intensity of individual therapy.
Not all individual counseling is the same. There are several individual therapy approaches, each of which has its benefits and downsides. People struggling with addiction must communicate with their therapist to ensure the correct method is utilized.
Therapies Offered at Pacific Palms
At Pacific Palms, we understand that each patient has specific needs and has lived through varied circumstances. We’re invested in finding the right therapy for each of our patients to help them become successful in fighting their addiction and living a more sober lifestyle.
Patients need to work closely with their therapist and trust their chosen therapy. Trained professionals use evidence-based methods to treat their patients.
Some of the most common treatments we offer include:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Based on some core principles, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is psychotherapy, where the patient learns to change their behavior and make positive changes. The idea is that a faulty way of thinking leads to inappropriate behavior, and the goal is to change the thought pattern to create positive behaviors.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) is a type of psychotherapy used for patients who feel intense emotions and have trouble controlling their reactions to those emotions. The goal of DBT is for a patient to see the cause and effect between the emotions they feel and how they react, so they can begin to change their reactions. The changes can only be made after the patient realizes that their negative actions arise as part of the reaction to their emotions.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Beginning in the 1980s, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a type of psychotherapy. ACT is an active form of therapy where the patient examines their inner feelings and reactions to those feelings to find acceptance.
Once they accept their emotions and feelings as appropriate, they begin to look for ways to change their reactions. The person acknowledges that their feelings are right but that they need a new method of dealing with those feelings and emotions.
Group Therapy
In group therapy, individuals with similar addictions or mental health disorders share their stories. However, it’s more than reliving the issue. It’s about sharing how one person can cope with feelings and triggers.
Group therapy also provides each person with an additional support network. For many patients, it’s enlightening to learn that they aren’t alone in their struggles. During a group therapy session, a therapist oversees the session and ensures that the attendees stay focused and everyone has a chance to share.
Addiction Therapy
Addiction is a serious issue that affects millions of people in the United States and abroad. If left untreated, addiction can have devastating effects on an individual’s personal growth and life, as well as those around them. Fortunately, there are treatment options available to help individuals overcome their struggles with addiction.
Family Therapy
Family counseling is an invaluable tool for improving family dynamics and resolving conflicts within a family. From managing stress to addressing the issues that come with changes in the family structure, family therapy can help families find balance and stability through emotionally focused therapy. Here are a few of the many benefits of family therapy. With a family therapist marriage counseling, relationship counseling, and couples therapy are made easier.
Get Help with Pacific Palms
When someone struggles with addiction, individual therapy in San Diego can help the person create the tools they need to overcome their substance abuse disorder. The person needs to partner with a therapist or treatment center that offers the therapy they need. The person must trust and rely on the treatment program.
At Pacific Palms, we invest in our patient’s recovery process and strive to provide therapy that gets the individual the best results. We understand that what works for one person doesn’t work for the next, which is why we offer a range of individual therapies.
Contact us today to learn more!
Pacific Palms Recovery is a certified outpatient Alcohol and Drug Treatment Program. Our outpatient drug rehab is located in San Diego County, California. Pacific Palms Recovery implements a comprehensive clinical and holistic approach to treating drug addiction and alcohol abuse.
