Addressing the Roots of Addiction
Individual Therapy

Therapeutic intervention is the backbone of every effective program of addiction recovery. Addiction is a disease of the mind — a chronic and relapsing brain disease — characterized by obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors, including a continuation of substance use despite an accumulation of severe personal consequences. In order for long-term sobriety to be achieved these negative and self-destructive thought patterns must be thoroughly addressed and adequately changed. Guardian Recovery offers individual therapy sessions geared towards helping clients effectively work through all potential barriers to recovery as they learn more about why they initially turned to chemical substances and how they can effectively avoid substance abuse in the future. Effective therapy is always client-driven, meaning that it focuses exclusively on the goals of each individual client while helping the client heal and grow.

At Guardian Recovery’s Tampa Addiction Center we offer individual therapy sessions to all of our clients that take place at least once every week. Sessions are facilitated by a licensed therapist with years of experience in the fields of substance abuse and mental health, and they focus on a range of pertinent topics while allowing clients to explore their personal history with substance abuse and dependence and flesh out their future treatment goals more in-depth. They delve into underlying causes and contributing factors, and address any roadblocks that might stand in the way of long-term sobriety. At Guardian Recovery we believe that therapeutic intervention should begin during the initial phase of the recovery process – medical detox. For more information on individual therapy or on the additional therapeutic services that we provide contact us today.

Individual Therapy and Addiction Recovery

Individual therapy (also known as psychotherapy and talk therapy) is only one component of every effective program of addiction recovery. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there are several principles of effective addiction treatment that should always be considered.

These principles are:

• Addiction is a complex disease that affects cognitive function – Men and women who struggle with addiction are at risk of relapse long after substance use has been stopped – because of this, treatment must be ongoing.
• No single approach to treatment is appropriate for everyone – In order for addiction treatment to be fully effective it must be modified to meet the unique needs of each individual client.
• Men and women who are struggling with addiction are often skeptical about entering into a long-term program of recovery, treatment must be readily available and easily accessible – Because addiction is a progressive disease, treatment is more effective the sooner it is provided.
• Effective treatment focuses on more than drug or alcohol abuse – It focuses on the impact that active addiction has had on the life of the client, and helps the client work through all related consequences whether they be psychological, emotional, social, legal or financial in nature.
• In order for treatment to be effective it must continue on past medically monitored detox – Extensive research points towards the fact that clients have higher rates of success when they transfer immediately from medical detox into a three month-long inpatient treatment program.

• Behavioral therapy, including individual therapy, is essential to long-term recovery – Individual behavioral therapy focuses on relapse prevention, developing a personal motivation to change self-destructive thought and behavior patterns, improving interpersonal relationships and developing more effective problem-solving skills.
• In addition to individual therapy, Medication Assisted Treatment is a fundamental part of effective substance abuse treatment programs.
• Individual recovery programs must be continuously assessed and modified based on personal progress – The clinical needs of each client change and evolve over time.
• Any underlying dual diagnosis disorders must be addressed in individual therapy – Many clients also suffer from undiagnosed or untreated mental illnesses like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.
• In order for medically monitored detox to be effective it must be followed by the next appropriate level of clinical care.
• In order for addiction treatment to be effective it does not necessarily have to be voluntary.
• Substance use should be closely monitored in order to provide clients with an incentive to stay clean over the duration of the treatment process.
• Individual therapy should include risk-reduction counseling services, as well as testing for infectious diseases that might have been contracted during active addiction.

At Guardian Recovery we adhere to these principles as we deliver individual therapy to our clients. Our main priority is ensuring that clients are equipped with the tools they need to maintain sobriety, and that they have the opportunity to begin working through the mental and emotional issues that could potentially lead to a return to substance use.

What to Expect

During their initial individual therapy session, clients sit down with a licensed therapist in a safe and secluded environment. They have an open conversation, and the therapist focuses on getting to know the client on a more personal basis. Most individual therapy sessions last for around one full hour.

Over the course of the session, numerous evidence-based therapeutic techniques are employed, including:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) –  This therapeutic method helps clients understand the connection between their thinking patterns and their behaviors. The main goal of CBT is to help clients replace negative thinking patterns with thoughts that are beneficial and conducive to long-term recovery.
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) – DBT helps clients improve emotional regulation and effectively work through high-stress situations. DBT also helps clients develop healthy communication skills and bolster interpersonal relationships.
• Psychodynamic therapy – During psychodynamic therapy, the therapist helps the client gain insight into his or her own life by focusing on early-life experiences and beliefs about self. Clients learn how their unconscious experiences actually impact the ways in which they behave on a day-to-day basis.
• Interpersonal psychotherapy – This therapeutic method focuses on improving interpersonal relationships. Clients learn how to interact with others in healthy and productive ways, how to set and maintain personal boundaries and how to communicate calmly and effectively.

If you would like to learn more about what to expect from individual therapy sessions contact us today.

Other Addiction Services We Offer

In addition to providing clients with the opportunity to participate in individual therapy sessions, we offer the following services as part of our comprehensive medical detox program:

• In-depth clinical and medical assessment
• Case management services
• Evidence-based approaches to medical detox
• Group and family therapy
• Thorough aftercare planning

Recovery Begins With Medical Detox

Overcoming substance abuse or dependence is certainly no small task. In order for you or your loved one to overcome addiction and stay sober long-term, a multi-phased continuum of clinical care must be in place. Medical detox is always a necessary first step, but physical stabilization is only the very beginning of every lifelong journey of recovery. At Guardian Recovery we are dedicated to providing each of our clients with a safe and pain-free drug or alcohol withdrawal – yet we believe that detoxification should be about much more than that. We work to instill each of our clients with the healthy coping mechanisms and life skills they need in order to achieve long-term success in sobriety. The only thing standing between you and a thorough restoration of physical, mental and emotional health is the initial phone call.

The moment you or your loved one makes the decision to contact us, we begin developing a stress-free plan of action. We understand that committing to a long-term recovery program can be overwhelming in and of itself. Because of this, we are available to walk you through every single step of the admissions process – from the initial assessment through coverage options and transportation. At Guardian Recovery we work closely with most major regional and national health insurance providers, and we offer free, no obligation health insurance benefit checks whenever necessary. If you or your loved one is currently uninsured or underinsured we offer additional options including self-pay and private pay. To learn more about our efficient and straightforward admissions process or to get started on your own personal journey of recovery – or to help your loved one get started – contact us today.