What Happens During One-on-One Therapy?
The onset of addictive disorders stemming from substance misuse generally involve some form of untreated co-occurring mental health issue. That is why Choice House utilizes a variety of therapeutic modalities to help recovery patients first achieve sobriety and then learn how to maintain a sober lifestyle in the long term. While the different therapy methods can be helpful in gaining initial sobriety in recovery, it is in maintaining that sobriety where the majority of the therapeutic modalities really become integral to the recovery process.
From group and individual sessions to wilderness outdoor therapy and even wolf and animal therapy, Choice House actively promotes both traditional and alternative therapeutic modalities in the understanding that every patient is different when it comes to the recovery experience. Just as each addiction disorder is both unique and the same when it comes to recovery, so should every patient’s recovery plan be both unique with the same goal of sobriety. A basic rule of thumb is that different people respond and learn differently depending on the various approaches or therapeutic methods used to achieve and maintain their sobriety.
One thing is certain– using therapy as a way to be able to acknowledge, understand, and talk about your addiction disorder is an integral piece to the recovery process. Although every recovery patient will respond differently to different therapeutic modalities, we think you will find one-on-one therapy sessions to be the most effective in promoting the type of self-awareness necessary for learning to understand your addiction and how to take preventive measures to avoid potential triggers and relapse.
What Therapy Can Accomplish
Talk therapy works to create an open dialogue that can help recovering addicts regain confidence and develop a more empathetic approach to their recovery. This open dialogue, albeit a little intimidating at first, begins the process for recovering addicts to finally gain some traction on understanding the emotions fueling their reactions to misuse substances. By learning to recognize and resolve those emotional issues, recovery patients can then begin to address the root causes of addiction and develop healthy coping mechanisms for when these feelings occur in the future.
Therapy ultimately can improve self-awareness, which makes recovery patients less reactionary to real world scenarios and will help you to take the preventative measures to avoid potentially triggering episodes in the future. The ability to know yourself and understand your addiction disorder is an amazing step toward achieving long term sobriety.
Session Work
So we have told you the why, but for the uninitiated, what can you come to expect from a one-on-one therapy session?
Just as there are a variety of therapy modalities, you can expect there to be a variety of methods practiced when it comes to your one-on-one session with a therapist. Some therapists may have a couch while others simply have a pair of comfortable arm chairs with the patient and therapist sitting on either side. One thing you can always expect, though, is a safe and comfortable environment for you to start a dialogue and talk about your feelings and experiences. Therapists are there to listen–without judgement–and help guide you to better awareness of self. They are not there to provide some magic solution to all your problems; rather, a therapist will work with you to address issues and come up with manageable solutions together.
For the most part, your therapy session will be what you make it. We know this may sound like a cop-out, but the truth is that you will only get as much as you put in. A good therapist will adapt to the recovery patient and find the most comfortable way for them to open up.
Therapy Try-Outs
If therapy is what you make of it, then it is also important to remember that it may take a few tries to find a therapist that suits your needs and personality. As such, your first therapy session is often an opportunity for you to try out a particular therapist and see if you are a good fit for each other. You should share what your goal is and the therapist will share how they can help you achieve that goal.
Your comfort level with a therapist is of the utmost importance and, in some scenarios, a therapist may not be the right fit for you. Through no fault of yours or theirs, the two of you may not be compatible, and that’s ok. You should make the extra effort to find a therapist who you feel comfortable with as the skills you learn through one-on-one therapy will be essential to maintaining your sober lifestyle for the long term.
If you feel like you could benefit from group or one-on-one therapy sessions to help treat your addictive disorder, Choice House is here to help. Choice House offers a variety of therapeutic modalities to help men not only achieve but also maintain long term sobriety. We offer 90 day inpatient services, an intensive outpatient program, as well as a transitional sober living campus to provide the necessary assistance to men seeking sobriety. Located in Boulder County, Colorado, we utilize both traditional and alternative therapy methods to help create a new foundation of love and empathy as well as long lasting bonds of friendship to guide males on the path to recovery. Our campus is ideally situated just twenty minutes from Louisville and the amenities of city life while also being just a few steps away from the Rocky Mountain State Park. This allows recovery patients to enjoy the remoteness and calm of the wilderness while also providing access to potential work and social activities in the city. Choice House takes full advantage of this close proximity to the Rocky Mountains by using a unique outdoor wilderness therapy to help men reconnect with themselves and nature while making lasting bonds of friendship that are beneficial in maintaining long term recovery. For more information about Choice House recovery programs, call us at (720) 577-4422.