Individual Therapies During Outpatient Rehab in Lakewood CO
Negative life experiences can result in distressing emotions that may lead a person to seek comfort in drugs or alcohol. If the individual continues to use these substances to self-medicate, it could eventually lead to addiction. Individual therapy helps the patient process those feelings and emotions that led to the use of harmful substances, which is a necessary step toward healing.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Most people are aware of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) – sometimes referred to as “talk therapy – in which an individual learns to modify behaviors by focusing on the thoughts and perceptions that led to the harmful actions.
CBT asks the patient to determine whether or not those thoughts and opinions are valid or realistic. If the thoughts/opinions are not valid or realistic, the therapist helps the patient challenge them. Once a patient has modified his beliefs, he’s better able to develop new behavioral patterns. [1]
Eye Movement Desensitivation and Reprocessing
CBT isn’t the only kind of individual therapy therapists utilize in addiction treatment. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an advanced technique that teaches the mind to heal from extreme psychological trauma. While guided by a trained therapist, the patient’s own rapid and rhythmic eye movements can diminish painful and emotionally charged memories or traumatic events. [2]
Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy is a technique often used in conjunction with other therapies. Hypnosis can help lead to behavior change by making people more open to suggestions during the hypnotic state. It can also be used to find the root cause of a problem that the patient may have unknowingly hidden in her unconscious memory. When the memory or event is brought to the surface, the patient can then be treated with CBT to deal with those thoughts and resulting behaviors. [3]