Individual Session and Group Therapy for Substance Abuse
At Zinnia Health, our addiction recovery treatment plans usually include individual and group therapy sessions. Though the approach to each therapy is different, they complement each other and together form a core element of your treatment, from rehab all the way through aftercare.
Understanding how the content, setting, and goals of individual and group therapy differ – and how they work together – can be helpful as you work your way through recovery.
Group Therapy for Addiction: Emotional Support
During group therapy at Zinnia Health, you are encouraged to openly explore your addiction within a close-knit setting. Many people find group therapy to be liberating, as the intimacy of the group allows you to be open and honest about the struggles and hardships you have faced while battling addiction and substance abuse.
Another benefit of group therapy is that you and your peers set goals of sobriety and overcome obstacles together, which helps alleviate some of the feelings of loneliness that are often associated with rehab.
You may see group therapy as a means of expression and become more open with your peers than you would be with others who may not have any experience battling drug and alcohol addiction.
Group therapy also helps you learn how to re-acclimate yourself into a social environment, establish lasting bonds, and tackle difficult social situations. You connect with other recovering addicts and provide emotional support for one another as you inspire each other to remain on the path of sobriety.
Another benefit of group therapy is that it gives you an opportunity to have a meaningful impact on the recovery of others by offering support and encouragement in times of need – and you receive that same support in return.
Individual Therapy: Privacy and Confidentiality
At Zinnia Health, individual therapy is a cornerstone of our personalized treatment plans. The primary goal of these sessions is for you to gain a better understanding of your thought patterns and how they directly affect your actions and behavior.
Your therapist helps you learn how to effectively manage stress, relationship difficulties, and uncomfortable situations. You learn how to make healthy decisions and become more self-aware.
In one-on-one sessions, you quickly develop a connection with your therapist that allows you to feel comfortable, which makes it easier for you to talk openly and honestly. The private nature of individual therapy provides you with a safe place to share your most personal, intimate feelings without being embarrassed or feeling that you are being judged by a group.
The unwavering confidentiality and support you receive from your therapist play an important role in your recovery. For example, you may not feel comfortable sharing the story of how you became addicted to drugs with a large group of people that you don’t really know well.
But those thoughts about your past trauma may hold key information that can help in your recovery. In individual therapy, you have a safe space to share those feelings, knowing that what you say is private and confidential.