Psychotherapy is a mainstay of modern treatment for substance problems. It plays a role in essentially all effective recovery plans. Addiction therapy programs may feature a variety of specific options. Regardless of the source of your problems, at least some of these options will fit your needs and situation. Knowledge of the types of therapy available to you can help you make informed treatment decisions. It can also help demystify the process of regaining your sobriety.
Types of Therapy for Addiction – Behavioral Therapy
When you think of psychotherapy, specific images may come to your mind. The classic image is of a person lying passively on a couch while talking to a therapist. This picture helps explain why psychotherapy is also known as talk therapy.
There is also a strong talk component to today’s addiction therapies. However, the overall process is much more dynamic. This is true, in large part, because the preferred types of addiction therapy are behavioral.
A range of therapy types falls into the behavioral category. All such therapies share some fundamental principles in common. These principles state that:
- Human behavior is learned, not set in stone
- Your behavior has a significant impact on your substance use and addiction risks
- You can change addiction-supporting behaviors for the better
- Positive changes in your behavior make it easier to stay substance-free
All behavioral types of therapy also focus on the problems affecting you today. This real-world approach emphasizes the tangible change in your everyday life.
The Different Types of Therapy Used in Addiction Treatment
What are the different types of therapy used to treat addiction? The full slate of modern behavioral options includes:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy, or CBT
- Dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT
- Motivational incentives, also known as contingency management
- 12-step facilitation therapy
- Trauma therapy
- Community reinforcement approach plus vouchers
- Motivational enhancement therapy
- Family behavior therapy
- The Matrix Model
There are also therapy types designed specifically for teenagers. Options in this category include brief strategic family therapy and functional family therapy. They also include multi-systemic therapy and multidimensional family therapy.
What Type of Therapy Is Best for Addiction?
It’s natural to ask what type of therapy is best for addiction. However, there is no single, defining reply to this question. Why not? The suitable types of therapy for you depend on multiple factors.
The first of these factors is the form of addiction affecting you. Simply put, a given therapy may help you recover from certain kinds of addiction, but not others. For example, CBT is known to help people addicted to several substances. That includes alcohol, opioids, cocaine, cannabis, and meth. In contrast, the Matrix Model is only used to help people addicted to stimulants.
The second key factor is you. For various reasons, you may not respond well to specific types of addiction therapy. That can be true even if these therapies work for other people with the same problems. Your treatment team will help you pick the types of therapy that work best for you.
Learn More About the Types of Therapy for Addiction at Northpoint Colorado
Have more questions about the types of therapy used in addiction rehab? Talk to the treatment experts at Northpoint Colorado. We’re standing by to explain the details of each available therapy option. We can also help you understand which therapies may suit your needs.
At Northpoint Colorado, we feature a variety of therapies for drug and alcohol problems. All treatment plans are customized with options that best support your journey toward sobriety. For more information on our personalized approach to recovery, just call us today at 888.231.1281. You can also reach us through our online contact form.
