Psychotherapy is an evidence-based method involved in substance abuse treatment. During rehab, psychological counseling and psychotherapy are utilized to treat mental and emotional health disorders, trauma, and underlying causes of drug and alcohol addiction. Many types of individual counseling/therapy can be used for addiction treatment. Yet, group therapy can be more beneficial in some ways as it allows people to heal and form meaningful relationships with others who are also adjusting to life without drugs and alcohol.
Group therapy’s goal is to improve the participant’s life; including behaviors, interpersonal and relationship skills, education, coping skills, and a return to normal functioning. (NIH)
How is Group Therapy Different from Individual Therapy?
In comparison to individual psychotherapy, group therapy in addiction treatment offers unique benefits and opportunities for de-shaming sensitive subjects (rape, neglect, physical abuse, poverty). This can be very effective for patients who require in-depth conversation on issues surrounding why they became addicts. The therapist leading the group therapy will provide insight and solutions about how to heal from those events or situations. Group therapy is often where many people discover that they are not alone in their experiences, which helps them face it and open up easier.
Benefits of Group Therapy for Staying Sober
The saying ‘there is power in numbers’ applies well to the nuances present within group therapy. When one person shares their challenges with the group, the participants will connect and experience growth and emotional healing. Each person in group therapy will:
- Enhance their social skills
- Become aware of other people’s perspectives
- Help other members of the group overcome shame
- Learn about the reasons people use drugs and alcohol to self-medicate
- Experience accountability
- Acquire self-awareness
- Understand their negative and positive motivations
What a Group Therapy Session Looks Like at Evoke Wellness
A therapist facilitates each group therapy session at Evoke Wellness in Coconut Creek. Our therapists are licensed and may specialize in a particular approach to therapy. Although most group therapy techniques are modified specifically for the needs of groups, it is most often adapted from a specific individual therapy model. These include Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Motivational Interviewing (MI). In addition, our groups are gender-specific for issues concerning abuse and trauma. Finally, we provide group therapy as a Segway for exposure to recovery-focused meetings such as alcoholics anonymous.
Why Do Addiction Professionals Support Using Group Therapy?
The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health and publishes research on substance abuse from distinguished journals. The opinion on the effectiveness of group therapy in rehab is clear.
The natural propensity of human beings to congregate makes group therapy a powerful therapeutic tool for treating substance abuse, as helpful as individual therapy, and sometimes more successful. One reason for this efficacy is that groups intrinsically have many rewarding benefits—such as reducing isolation and enabling members to witness the recovery of others—and these qualities draw clients into a culture of recovery. Another reason groups work so well is that they are suitable for treating problems that commonly accompany substance abuse, such as depression, isolation, and shame. (NCBI)
Which Programs Include Group Therapy in a Treatment Center?
Group therapy is offered in all of our treatment formats. Each group therapy session centers on a subject, and for that reason, we target the members’ issues, and some patients will be together in a group focused on how trauma affected the road to substance abuse. In contrast, others may be involved in a group that provides parenting skills, relapse preventing planning, or the mechanisms for healthy coping skills integration. Our groups range from one hour up to 3 hours with breaks. Depending on the topic, every group is designed ahead of time with a corresponding facilitator or licensed counselor. Patients who need more in-depth attention are also seen the same day with their counselor. We allow mental and emotional processing after each group, and we give our patients less intense activities to support them after a group session.
Why Should I Choose Evoke Wellness in Coconut Creek, Florida?
Addiction and alcoholism are life-long conditions that cannot be cured but can be helped. We provide the answers on how to live life without drug and alcohol use. Through in-depth group therapy and one-on-one counseling, evidence-based methods for treatment, holistic treatment, relapse prevention, stress and anger management, and personalized treatment programs, our patients remain in recovery long term. Call for an immediate conversation about our treatment center and programs.
