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Experience Recovery at Harmony Place

Motivational Enhancement Therapy in Los Angeles, California

Motivational Enhancement Therapy, or MET, is a way to address people who have problems with drugs and alcohol. 

As a result, it leads to quick intrinsic improvements in an individual’s engagement with treatment for addiction. When combined with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), it is especially effective for treating certain types of substance use disorders.

At Harmony Place, we understand the benefits of being motivated to seek treatment and remain sober in the long term. Therefore, we encourage clients to participate in our motivational enhancement therapy in Los Angeles, California.

client in motivational enhancement therapy in Los Angeles

Individual Therapy

Group Therapy

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

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Dialectical Behavioral Therapy

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Motivational Enhancement Therapy

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Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

Addiction & Dual Diagnosis Treatment

What is Motivational Enhancement Therapy?

Our motivational enhancement therapy (MET) in Los Angeles assists people who are uneasy about seeking help for drug or alcohol misuse. In other words, it helps a person who resists change and encourages engagement toward treatment. Instead of being part of a treatment program, MET uncovers the motivation that helps a person with a substance use disorder change their unhealthy behaviors.

The Theory Behind MET

To be sure, motivational enhancement therapy involves certain assumptions. It is important to understand them so that an individual knows the reasons for success behind the therapy:

  • Patients already have the ability from within to make changes against substance abuse. MET helps individuals resolve and commit to the changes.
  • Being wary of change is the top roadblock toward healthy behaviors.
  • Patients enter treatment with different levels of readiness. Therefore, a therapist needs to help a client find their motivation.
  • Persuasion is ineffective and may keep patients from changing their behaviors.
  • Patient denial is actually helpful and offers valuable feedback.
  • Together, the patient and the therapist form a partnership.
Goals of MET

This client-centered approach to treatment helps patients learn copy mechanisms to get through challenging situations. It targets a person’s ambivalent feelings toward treatment in hopes of turning it around.

In other words, the major goal of this therapy is to help individuals with drug and alcohol use disorders gain empowerment and make positive changes. 

Indeed, a therapist helps to motivate behavioral changes. As treatment progresses, an individual commits to a life that is free of drugs and alcohol. After all, MET does not change unhealthy habits or patterns. However, it effectively makes a person appreciate the need for treatment.

What Happens During Motivational Enhancement Therapy in Los Angeles?

MET is brief, but it is designed to push for change. To begin, an assessment is completed. After the first session between a therapist and a client, two to four additional sessions are scheduled. Each is usually under one hour in length.

First Session

Overall, the first session includes an evaluation by a therapist. Also, a client and a therapist work to set goals that help to fight substance abuse. However, emphasis is placed on personal control. This helps an individual develop a healthier way to deal with addiction and stay away from drugs and alcohol. Clients discuss any concerns that are weighing on their minds. Discussion and motivational conversations ensue about substance misuse.

Follow-Up Sessions

In future sessions, a person’s motivation increases. Then, a plan is developed, which changes thoughts and actions. A client sets treatment goals and identifies roadblocks that may hinder these goals. This helps the client remain motivated throughout recovery.

What to Expect During MET in Los Angeles

Important Principles Involved in MET

Indeed, the main goal of the treatment is to heighten a person’s awareness about poor behaviors and to increase their motivation to change. A MET therapist teaches a patient ways to adjust negative thoughts so that he or she gains the confidence to change for the better. As a result, this helps an individual with a substance use disorder to change behavior and to remain sober.

In summary, there are five vital parts of MET:

Empathy

In effect, the first principle of our Los Angeles motivational enhancement therapy establishes trust between a therapist and a patient. A therapist listens without confrontation or judgment so that the patient feels supported, respected, and accepted. Therefore, the individual realizes that there is more to life than negative behavior. The therapist listens to the patient and reflects on the expressed ideas. In other words, the patient elaborates on these ideas to confirm that change must occur.

Discrepancy

A patient discusses goals and recovery. As a result, a therapist begins an outline of the job that is ahead. This establishes a discrepancy between a patient’s current state and the state that they wish to achieve. This helps a person recognize the behaviors that are keeping them from getting to his or her goal. In many ways, this offers an incentive for behavior change. Therapy bridges the gap between a patient’s current life and the life that they want.

Avoiding Arguments

Again, the focus of MET is to reinforce positive behavior. Therefore, there are no attacks or arguments from a therapist. In fact, judgment will make a person with a substance use disorder get defensive and will have a counterproductive outcome. Instead, MET raises the awareness of poor behavior and the changes that must occur to gain long-term sobriety.

Resistance

MET acknowledges that a certain level of resistance remains. The treatment goes along with leftover resistance without confrontation. It is essential to understand that change is difficult. Even though it may seem counterproductive, a patient becomes less defensive, and they are more likely to remain in therapy and pursue a solid rehab program.

Self-Efficacy

Patients become self-aware and comprehend that they can reach their goals. A therapist helps people with substance use disorders to change and successfully turn against addictive behaviors.

motivational sign reads "You Got This"
Long-Term Recovery

Stages of Change

Since MET involves change, it is important to examine the various stages of the process. Studies were completed that analyzed how individuals change their behavior. They entail specific stages of the modification of problematic behavior toward healthier behavior.

In essence, MET addresses the patient’s stage of change to guide them toward recovery.

  • Precontemplation: In this stage, an individual is not considering a change. In fact, they may still be engaged in problematic behaviors.
  • Contemplation: This is the stage where a person starts to consider that a problem exists. Also, they weigh the pros and cons of change.
  • Determination: This stage is where a person makes the decision to take action.
  • Action: After a person starts to change their behavior, they are in the action stage.
  • Maintenance: This stage occurs after an action has been completed. A person performs maintenance so that action is sustained.
  • Potential Relapse: Indeed, there is the possibility that efforts may fail. In other words, a person may need to start this cycle again.
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    client in MET therapy for addiction in Los Angeles
    How MET Helps Long-Term Recovery

    How MET Benefits Individuals Who are in Recovery from Addiction

    Our motivational enhancement therapy in Los Angeles helps high-risk individuals with substance use disorders. It finishes over a span of a few weeks.

    Unfortunately, there is not one single therapy approach for treating addiction. Each person suffers from unique challenges. In certain studies, MET was found to be effective and to assist individuals with substance misuse issues. In fact, it helps people overcome resistance to change, which is the building block toward a successful recovery. 

    When a person is ready and willing to alter behaviors, it is possible to enjoy a sober lifestyle. In other words, it increases a person’s readiness to go against negative addictive behavior. Also, it has been proven to lower the severity of drug or alcohol abuse and to lengthen a person’s abstinence.

    • Absolutely the best recovery center around.

      I am forever grateful to have had this experience. I would recommend anyone who wanted help to come here. This place literally saved my life. I have overcome so many obstacles that always stood in the way of my recovery. It’s not just because I was ready… the approaches the therapists use come from an empathetic, compassionate, and understanding place. They were able to hold the mirror up and help guide me through making solid changes.

      Daniel H.
      August 2017
    • This place literally saved my life.

      After overdosing, my parents forced me to check into rehab.After interviewing many other facilities, I decided to go to Harmony Place from my home in Phoenix. I was struggling with…a drug addiction and had been trying for years to recover. In the past, left 2 treatment centers AMA and 1 AWOL. I had very negative experiences in the other treatment facilities, especially with my therapists, so I didn’t go in with an open mind or good attitude- even though they worked with my parents regarding finances. However, the staff was patient with me. The techs were kind, knowledgeable, and many were in recovery themselves.

      Mary M.
    • They Answered on the First Call

      When I called Harmony Place…I knew immediately that this was the right place for my child… Harmony Place is specifically designed for…and tailored to providing a safe environment. The staff [are knowledgeable and some are in recovery]. The staff knew each client and were on top of each client’s progress. Harmony Place has a small clientele and each client are able to receive all the help they were entitled to. I would recommend Harmony Place to anyone who is looking for a small setting… My daughter is currently going into sober living and her counselors did a wonderful job in finding a right fit for her – affordable, safe and a good environment for her.

      Robyn
      Loved-One
    • I’ve Been Searching for the Perfect Words…

      I left Harmony Place in August of 2015 and I have been searching for the perfect words to describe my experience during my stay; and still I can’t really find them. How do you really describe a place with a staff and a program that saved you? Addiction is a terrible thing to go through and a heart breaking thing for your loved ones to watch. Many people, including myself go into different treatment centers throughout their addiction searching for ways to find recovery. Nothing worked for me, not the 5 rehab stays I had, then, I came here.

      Dominique C.
      Alumni
    Let’s Work Together to Overcome Addiction

    Start Motivational Enhancement Therapy in Los Angeles Today

    Motivational enhancement therapy (MET) helps individuals harness their inner resources to begin changing behavior. It focuses on an individual’s personal choices and self-control. In this manner, it makes a person more powerful against alcohol and drugs. 

    At Harmony Place, we understand the need for individuals to recognize the importance of change and that it begins internally. In essence, this is the turning point in a person’s life that can help towards long-term recovery. For more information about ways to treat addiction, contact us today.