When it comes to addiction and counseling, there is normally a mixture of both individual therapy and group counseling. Both of these have important roles in the recovery process and both have a unique set of benefits. An individual therapy program provides one-on-one counseling with a certified mental health therapist to help you address the underlying mental health disorders and your co-occurring drug addiction. We will discuss further the benefits of individual therapy.
Confidentiality
One of the best benefits of individual therapy is confidentiality. Whatever is discussed during a session is kept between you and the counselor. This helps a person open up easier. When you know you can discuss your deepest thoughts and feelings, it makes it easier to visit the mental places in your mind that you have pushed back and kept hidden for many years. You can bring these out, examine them, and know that you won’t be judged for them.
Personalization
With individual therapy, the discussion is totally personalized. You are not stuck with discussing one particular topic on any given week. For someone who has specific challenges, this can save both time and effort as you don’t have to sit through what could amount to whole sessions that have nothing to do with issues you either need help with or can help others with. This is a type of issue that is sometimes addressed by the need for gender-specific counseling, but even within each gender counseling session, there is a wide variety of needs being addressed within a group.
Availability
With an individual therapy program, you can often get an emergency session scheduled quickly. While this will vary from one program to the next, having the option can be especially comforting, especially in the earlier days of recovery. With group therapy, you are only able to see the facilitator at the times originally scheduled. For example, you’ve had a particularly upsetting event occur that has set off your anxiety and caused you to harbor harmful thoughts. Maybe no group support system is available but you can call the therapist and possibly get fit into their schedule.
Timing
Some things can be worked through quickly but others may take weeks or even months. One of the benefits of individual therapy is that you won’t be at a disadvantage if you need more time on one particular aspect than others may need. In a group setting, therapy must progress at a given pace, but that isn’t the case with individual counseling. Your therapist and you will set up counseling goals, but these will be revisited from time to time to see how much progress has been made and what may need to be altered in order to better meet your needs.
Connection
When you spend time one-on-one with a counselor, there is a greater chance to connect emotionally. This helps build trust between patient and therapist. Trust is necessary to get the most benefits from therapy, so individual programs are great for people who have a difficult time trusting enough to open up.
Benefits of Individual Therapy
These are just a few of the benefits of individual therapy. If you or a loved one is struggling, now is the time to reach out for help. Whether you prefer individual or group therapy the most aren’t the main concern. What matters is you don’t keep struggling alone. Addiction therapy programs are available.
Dual Diagnosis Treatment
A dual diagnosis treatment center provides comprehensive addiction treatment that addresses both the physical and mental health symptoms of drug addiction
Upon your admission into a dual diagnosis treatment program, the addiction treatment staff will conduct a mental health assessment to compile a personalized alcohol addiction treatment plan, that will work for you based on your unique underlying mental health conditions contributing to your drug addiction. Substance abuse treatment programs and addiction therapy services typically utilized in drug addiction treatment include:
