Individual Therapy in Pasadena, California
Individual Therapy is an effective treatment for various mental illnesses and emotional problems. Individual counseling is also the basis of many people’s treatment for substance use disorder (SUD). Also known as “talk therapy,” it can help control or improve symptoms that affect an individual’s well-being. If you’re struggling with a mental or emotional issue or substance abuse, there is help for you in Pasadena, CA.
What is an Individual Therapy Program?
Individual therapy is a form of psychotherapy in which a trained professional therapist helps a person work through any personal issues they’ve been struggling with. Therapy sessions give the individual the chance to talk through problems and issues from their past with a professional in a totally confidential setting. Although individual therapy won’t make all your problems disappear, it can help you learn the skills necessary to deal with them more effectively. Individual therapy involves discussing your:
- feelings,
- thoughts,
- behaviors, and
- worries.
The goal of an individual therapy program is to identify potential problems and make you feel better and less confused. It can help you begin to seriously think about your inner self so that you know who you are and what your purpose in everyday life is. You need to have a realistic view of your authentic self. For example: if you have negative thoughts about yourself and believe that you’re unimportant and useless in your day-to-day life, or have a sense of low self-esteem, individual counseling can help bring you out of that negative perception of yourself.
With the therapist’s guidance, you can then honestly start examining:
- your involvement with other people,
- your values, and
- your future potential.
Individual Counseling for Substance Abuse and Mental Health
When used in combination with other therapeutic approaches such as behavioral therapies and family counseling, an individual therapy program can help you become and remain abstinent if you’re struggling with SUD. Psychotherapy can also reveal and treat other mental health conditions that frequently have a role in addiction.
A SUD is much more complicated than a physical dependence on drugs or alcohol. Even if you go through a detox and are no longer dependent physically, you still have a high risk of relapse. There are social and psychological influences that can still be strong triggers that can cause a relapse. They include:
- Stress (sudden stress in particular)
- Certain triggers in the environment (like visiting an area where you used substances)
- Social networks (contacting friends who still use substances)
These can all trigger a strong craving to use substances again. Counseling can help you deal with these urges and learn to handle difficult situations in your life without leaning on drugs or alcohol.
Most addiction recovery programs focus on two important areas:
- Medical Detox and treatment
- Individual therapy
The importance of psychotherapy in SUD recovery shouldn’t be a surprise. While detox and medications concentrate on physical dependencies, that isn’t enough to protect you from relapse. The psychological aspect of addiction is addressed through individual therapy.
Individual Therapy Helps Prevent Relapse
After completing a recovery program, you may believe the recovery journey is finished. The truth is, the successful management of your recovery is a lifelong quest. Between 40- to 60% of addicts will relapse. This does not represent every person who completes alcohol detox in california. You need to understand the high risk of relapse and learn how to deal with the urge to relapse. Individual therapy can help you learn the proper tools to maintain your sobriety.
To help prevent relapse, individual therapy sessions can offer you these 6 benefits:
- Build your support system
- Help you understand yourself better
- Learn to manage your emotions
- Learn to recognize the underlying causes of symptoms
- Provide strategies to help you cope
- Helps you take charge of your symptoms
Individual Therapy vs. Group Therapy
When you get treatment for SUD, addiction therapy may occur in several forms:
- Individual and group therapy are two mainstays of addiction treatment. And although these two approaches to treatment have a similar goal of helping you conquer substance abuse, each one provides a unique therapy experience meant to address the wide range of issues associated with SUD.
- Therapists and other addiction specialists know that each person requires individualized care and attention. That’s why programs often offer a combination of group and individual therapy to help you overcome addiction. Even though each method has specific features, they also have some common characteristics. For example, they both have common goals such as:
- Life and coping skills and recovery training
- Motivational discussion
- Addiction education
- Building relationship skills
- Education directed to reconnecting with family and significant others
- Mindfulness practice
- Training in long-term recovery skills
- Case management services
Both individual and group therapy can help you reach your goals in recovery. Your own particular needs will help decide which type will be of the greater benefit to you at any given time in your recovery. Assessment by a treatment professional can help you determine what should be included in your plan for treatment.
Personalized Care
The main difference between individual and group therapy is who is receiving the service. While a group therapy session helps several people at the same time, individual therapy allows you to focus on your own recovery. The process of evaluation in the first stage of your treatment can help you and your therapist discover the exact nature of your pain and anguish.
If you have never had a mental health evaluation, you may be diagnosed with SUD or a co-existing disorder that can complicate your treatment plan. When the full diagnosis is known, you can identify the goals you want to achieve and work with your therapist to design your own treatment plan. Working with a treatment provider on a one-to-one basis provides many benefits including:
- It allows you to concentrate on your personal recovery path
- You can find and maintain your motivation to recover
- Your specific preferred program for recovery can be determined
- Gives you the chance to ask questions about the process of recovery without judgment from others
- Helps you build a close, collaborative understanding with your therapist about your history and needs
- Helps you build a feeling of support, safety, and trust with your therapist
- Serves as a backdrop to examining your relationships, challenges, resources, and addiction experiences
Individual Counseling Approaches
Often, individual therapy will combine different methods to help reach your recovery goals. Some common approaches include:
- Motivational Interviewing (MI)
MI is used to discover and strengthen your motivation to commit to the goal of sobriety. It’s a fact that a difficult hurdle to overcome is a lack of motivation to end substance use.
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT helps people struggling with SUD and mental illness to recognize the connections between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Increasing awareness of faulty thoughts has an effect on recovery.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT helps you learn the skills of distress tolerance, mindfulness, and emotional regulation. It focuses more on your acceptance of your situation and learning how to move on.
All of these methods are effective to help you stop using alcohol or drugs. Although many individual therapies used pre-planned schedules for goal planning, therapists can work with you to devise flexible sessions as your needs require. If you have a co-occurring mental disorder and SUD (also known as a dual diagnosis), behavioral therapies are particularly effective in treating both issues at the same time, which is a necessity.
Get Help NowTreatment for a Dual Diagnosis
Unfortunately, many people with SUD also have a mental illness. Sometimes, the mental issue appears first and substances are used to self-medicate. Sometimes, the mental disorder appears after the addiction. In either case, the SUD and the mental disorder need to be treated at the same time, preferably by the same treatment team. Research has found that about 50% of people with SUD will also experience a co-occurring mental disorder. The most common co-occurring mental disorders are:
- Anxiety disorders
- Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Depression
- Schizophrenia
- Bipolar disorder
Choosing the Right Prescription Drug Detox Center
What is Telehealth?
Telehealth is also referred to as Telemedicine or E-Health. In general, it refers to the delivery of medicine by digital methods instead of an in-person situation.
When it is used for counseling and mental health services, it has been called:
- TeleMental Health,
- TelePsychology,
- E-Counseling,
- E-Psychotherapy, or
- TelePsychiatry among other similar names.
When used with other treatment methods, telehealth behavioral interventions can be an effective part of a comprehensive approach to treating SUDs. These methods may include:
- Screening and diagnosis
- Online counseling sessions
- Prescription consultations
- Individual therapy
- Group therapy
Treating SUDs through telehealth requires a high level of proficiency in addiction treatment and care.
Benefits of TeleMental Health Treatment
- Shorter wait times–This means a faster connection to treatment.
- Crisis intervention–Immediate help between in-person sessions.
- Long-distance help–Psychotherapy can be conducted when you are not in the same location.
- More privacy–You can get care in your home without needing to go to a public place.
- Less stigma–You have access to health providers who understand SUD and aren’t judgmental.
- Continuity of care–You can continue your treatment with your regular therapist while receiving in-person cocaine detox.
- Home surroundings–Providers can get a better insight into your condition by being able to observe your home.
- Digital tools–Text messaging and apps can supplement treatment plans by giving immediate support to deal with low-level cravings.
How Effective is Telehealth?
Research evidence on telehealth based on 950 studies of telehealth showed that telehealth is beneficial for certain uses and patient groups. There is a growing volume of studies reporting that clinical results with telehealth are as good and sometimes better than usual care. It also showed that telehealth improves intermediate outcomes and satisfaction.
The evidence of benefit was concentrated in certain uses such as:
- For monitoring patients with chronic conditions (SUD is a chronic condition)
- Communicating and counseling people with chronic conditions
- Providing psychotherapy as a component of behavioral health
Step Up to the Path to Recovery
Are you struggling with substance abuse issues? Are you trying to deal with a mental health issue? It’s not easy but recovery is possible if you want it. Path to Recovery Detox in Pasadena, CA is prepared to provide you with addiction and mental health support from experienced, trained, addiction specialists and therapists.
Our detox center in Pasadena, CA will help you go through withdrawal comfortably and safely with 24-hour medical monitoring. After detox, you are prepared for comprehensive treatment in our treatment facility. Our facility is designed to provide a comfortable space for you, whatever your preferences are. As a resident, you will experience a safe, structured environment, free of the triggers to relapse, and with access to medical help round-the-clock.
Did you know that a part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires insurers to cover mental health and substance abuse treatment at a rate equal to your medical coverage? We accept most insurance coverage and our admission specialists will help you check with your insurance. Contact us today. You have nothing to lose but a devastating illness and everything to gain, like a fulfilling future.
Call us on 323-996-7773