The Effectiveness of Psychotherapy in Drug Treatment

For many years now, drug treatment centers have employed counselors and therapists who are certified in addiction treatment, using a variety of psychotherapy modalities in order to help clients achieve sobriety. Just how effective is psychotherapy? In the early years of drug treatment, addicts were often confined to long-term stays in asylums or psych wards, with the prevailing attitude at the time being that they were a danger to society. Rehabilitation was generally not available. Over time, however, various forms of drug treatment plans began being implemented with moderate success. Over the past several decades, psychotherapy was introduced as a form of drug treatment as well. Drug and alcohol treatment centers began employing counselors and therapists who became certified in addiction counseling, and through their training in psychotherapy were able to introduce various forms of treatment, including group counseling sessions and one-on-therapy. Psychotherapy, now widely used in private drug rehab facilities across the world, uses a variety of modalities that are designed to look into an addict’s past. Counselors and therapists work to identify actions and behaviors that triggered drug cravings, social issues that may have exacerbated the addiction, relationships with family and friends that may have triggered addictive behavior, identifying situations that were considered high risk for drug use and developing a comprehensive strategy to avoid harmful situations in the future that can lead to drug use. Drug and alcohol treatment centers now often employ certified counselors and therapists who are also recovering addicts and alcoholics themselves. In addition to their psychotherapy training, they can oftentimes use their experiences with both addiction and recovery to gain the trust of their clients, in the hopes that they will comfortable opening up and exploring their past. Drug abuse rehab facilities often encourage their counselors and therapists to seek training as new psychotherapy treatment modalities are created, so that they can be armed with the latest drug treatment options to better help their clients. While psychotherapy has indeed helped countless addicts in their fight to stay clean and sober, private drug rehab facilities that are more successful generally use a combination of psychotherapy treatment options along with time-tested options such as attendance at AA and NA meetings, introduction to the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, daily devotions and family counseling sessions. With addiction, there is no one tried and true method—successful drug treatment today requires that drug abuse rehab facilities use whatever resources are available to help its clients, including a variety of psychotherapy treatment options. Any private drug rehab that works to use every tool and resource available to help its clients achieve long-term sobriety is a rehab worth looking into. Psychotherapy has become an important component in the fight against addiction. 12 Palms Recovery Center is a drug treatment facility that uses psychotherapy along with other time-tested treatment options to help its clients achieve long-term sobriety. For more information on their drug treatment program, please call 1(866) 331-6779, or visit us at www.12PalmsRecoveryCenter.com.