Recovery treatment aims to help an addict identify the emotions and thoughts that trigger their habit and find and apply healthier ways to manage the difficulties that will invariably arise in life. Group counseling is a part of the addiction recovery treatment provided by The Counseling Center. It involves a therapist and a small group of fewer than 15 people at a similar point in recovery. The hardest part of recovery is abstinence. Being in a group therapy session with other people allows an individual to hear others’ experiences and how they coped with them and learn to apply the information through interaction.
In group counseling, being around other people struggling with the same issues reduces feelings of isolation, loneliness, guilt, stress, and pain while helping interpersonal skills and building a support network. Some of the topics discussed during group counseling include recognizing triggers and avoiding them, dealing with difficult people, resolving conflicts in relationships, and managing unexpected and everyday stressors. Group therapy also provides a platform for an individual to learn skills such as communication, listening, teamwork, empathy, and other aptitudes that, in turn, will come in handy for rebuilding relationships or dealing with employers and coworkers. The combination of individual and group therapy provides a strong foundation for someone who has taken the step to become free of alcohol or drug addiction. Many relationships forged during group counseling turn into mutually supportive and positive life-long friendships.
Many past traumas can surface when a person has decided to seek help for a mental disorder or quit using alcohol and drugs. Treatment involves changing the way the mind processes information or thinks. One-on-one counseling and group counseling are the primary methods used in re-programming self. However, when it concerns addiction or mental health, the individual is not the only one who struggles with a deteriorating situation.
Spouses, parents, children, and siblings of a person with substance use or a mental health disorder also suffer. More times than not, they take on roles within the family unit, which affects them psychologically and physically. The stress caused by these situations often results in triggers that cause relapses or setbacks and continue to aggravate the family and the community.
The Counseling Center provides counseling that treats individuals, spouses, and families through various evidence-based methods that will restore understanding and communication and help guide families out of the darkness caused by addiction and mental illness and into the light of recovery. Everyone has a proper role to assume in the family unit, and we help you identify and establish this for happier family life.