What Are Behavioral Therapies for Drug Abuse?

November 8, 2022

Harmony Place Team

Behavioral therapies for drug abuse help individuals engage in their substance abuse programs by modifying their attitudes and behaviors regarding substance addiction. Behavioral therapies for drug abuse provide incentives for individuals to stay sober. They also increase people’s life skills so that they can deal with challenging situations, triggers, and cravings. At Harmony Place, we incorporate evidence-based behavioral therapies to empower individuals on their recovery journey. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, research has shown that several different kinds of behavioral therapies for drug abuse are effective.

10 Types of Therapy Used in Addiction Treatment and Recovery

There are many different types of therapies that are used in addiction treatment programs like residential rehab, IOP, and aftercare rehab programs. Each type of therapy is different and maybe more or less effective, depending on the client’s needs. If you or a loved one is preparing to start an addiction treatment program, here are some of the types of therapies that you will likely encounter.

1.Cognitive Behavioral Therapies for Drug Addiction

What are Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies (CBTs) for Substance Abuse

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is founded on the core principle that psychological problems like addiction are based (in part) on harmful thinking patterns, negative learned behaviors, and unhelpful coping techniques.

How is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Used to Treat Addiction?

CBT aims to change harmful thinking patterns by teaching individuals how to recognize and reevaluate themselves realistically, use problem-solving to deal with difficult situations, develop self confidence and self-efficacy, and gain a better understanding of the behaviors of others. Instead of focusing on the past, cognitive-behavioral therapies for drug abuse are centered around the here and now to help clients move forward in life.

Many addicted people are plagued by negative thinking patterns, which can make it very difficult to stop using drugs or alcohol. Negative thinking patterns also heavily contribute to feelings of powerlessness and mental health problems that frequently occur alongside addiction like anxiety or depression. Instead of feeling powerless over their addictive behaviors, cognitive behavioral therapy helps people explore patterns of negative thinking that contribute to their self-destructive behavior like abusing substances. CBT also helps people adopt healthier ways of thinking that will contribute to them being able to live sober lives.

What Are the Benefits of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Addiction?

CBT is goal-oriented and focused on the present.
CBT helps clients develop strategies to deal with cravings, stressful situations, or triggers that may occur outside of rehab.
CBT can be used in group or individual therapy.
CBT allows clients and therapists to work together to identify negative thinking patterns and develop healthy ones.
The skills required for CBT are practical ones that can be incorporated into everyday life.

2. Contingency Management for Drug Addiction

What is Contingency management?

Contingency management is a type of behavioral therapy in which individuals are rewarded for making positive changes in their lives.

How is Contingency Management Used to Treat Addiction?

It is based on the principle that positive reinforcement is likely to increase the frequency of a certain type of behavior, such as sobriety. Examples of contingency management for addiction treatment could include vouchers for negative drug tests, prizes, or natural reinforcements like an improved relationship with a spouse or a significant decrease in health problems.

What Are the Benefits of Contingency Management for Addiction?

Contingency management can increase retention rates for substance abuse treatment programs.
Contingency management can improve a person’s likelihood of staying sober after rehab.
Contingency management is often helpful for a wide range of people of all ages.
Contingency management can be used as a stand-alone treatment method or in conjunction with other types of therapy, such as CBT or motivational interviewing.
Most insurance providers cover contingency management because it is low-risk and widely regarded as beneficial for addiction treatment.

3. Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy for Drug Addiction

What is Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy?

Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) is a type of therapy that is very similar to cognitive behavioral therapy.

How is Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy Used to Treat Addiction?

It helps people identify negative thought patterns and beliefs that contribute to emotional distress and harmful, self-defeating behaviors. The primary difference between REBT and CBT focuses more on the person’s belief system.

What are the Benefits of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy for Addiction?

Clients learn how to take responsibility for how they feel and behave in response to something.
Clients learn how to identify and monitor irrational thoughts that have the potential to lead to negative behaviors.
Clients learn how to acknowledge negative feelings and stress and be okay with the ensuing discomfort without feeling compelled to suppress those feelings with alcohol or drugs.
Clients learn to adopt healthier and more realistic expectations of themselves, the world, and the people around them.
Clients learn the importance of self-acceptance and put it into practice.

4.Motivational Interviewing for Drug Addiction

What is Motivational interviewing?

Motivational interviewing is a counseling method in which the therapist or counselor seeks to motivate the client to maintain sobriety by identifying his or her intrinsic motivations and values and then focusing treatment on that.

How is Motivational Interviewing Used to Treat Addiction?

Instead of being forced to change or face legal consequences or other immediate consequences, motivational interviewing helps clients find their own desire to get sober. In using this type of counseling approach, the counselor forms an alliance with the client that is fueled by collaboration, giving the client the ability to make choices for himself or herself, and evoking internal change to promote lasting recovery.

What Are the Benefits of Motivational Interviewing for Addiction?

It improves retention rates for substance abuse treatment programs.
Clients are more motivated to make personal changes that will improve their odds of maintaining sobriety.
It increases client participation in treatment.
It reduces the likelihood of relapse.
Clients are encouraged to develop self-actualization goals.

5.Family Therapy for Addiction

What is Family and/or Couples Therapy?

Family or couples therapy is designed to address an individual’s substance abuse problems, as well as co-occurring problems and issues related to the interconnected relationships within a family unit.

How is Family Therapy or Couples Therapy Used to Treat Addiction?

The idea behind family therapy is that the addicted person’s actions and behaviors are influenced by their familial relationships and vice versa. Family therapy involves all affected individuals (immediate and/or extended family) and is often necessary to improve relationships, address issues like stress, enabling behaviors, and communication problems to improve the home environment in a way that promotes continued abstinence.

What Are the Benefits of Family Therapy or Couples Therapy for Addiction?

It helps keep loved ones motivated and engaged during treatment.
It provides important educational information about addiction and the recovery process.
It gives individuals a safe place to voice their concerns, express their feelings, and ask questions related to addiction.
It helps ease feelings of anger, stress, fear, and confusion among family members.
It helps family members develop skills and strategies to cope with the addictive behaviors and recovery process.
It improves communication among family members.
It provides opportunities to address any mental health issues in the family.

6. 12-Step Facilitation Therapy for Drug Addiction

What is 12-Step Facilitation Therapy?

12- Step facilitation therapy is a structured approach to addiction recovery that is grounded in the concept of addiction being a spiritual and medical disease. The primary focus of 12-Step facilitation therapy, which is a manual-driven therapy, is acceptance, surrender, active participation in the recovery community, and continued sobriety.

How is 12-Step Facilitation Therapy Used to Treat Addiction?

Fueled by active involvement in a sober community, the main idea behind this type of therapy is that a person is more likely to stay sober if they are continually involved in a 12-step self-help group like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Group involvement provides opportunities for individuals to develop healthy relationships with other sober people, share their lives with people who have similar experiences and struggles, and have a judgment-free zone where they can talk freely about the challenges they are facing in sobriety.

What Are the Benefits of 12-Step Facilitation Therapy for Addiction?

It provides clients with opportunities to develop a healthy, sober relationship with a sponsor.
It exposes problems or psychological resistance to meeting attendance and participation, prompting further exploration of those issues.
It offers opportunities to get socially engaged with a recovery community.
It promotes deep introspection and helps clients get the most out of their 12-Step meetings.

7.Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy for Drug Addiction

What Is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) was originally developed in the late 1980s to treat clients with PTSD. Since trauma and substance use disorders are often intertwined, EMDR is also an effective approach for treating people who suffer from addiction.

How is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Used to Treat Addiction?

EMDR is designed to help clients process and resolve traumatic memories, experiences, and emotions while replacing negative images associated with the trauma with positive beliefs. For example, if a client survived a horrifying accident, he or she may abuse drugs and alcohol to cope with the anxiety associated with those memories. Instead, EMDR can help the person associate those memories with positive beliefs such as, “I am strong and capable to have survived such an event.”

What Are the Benefits of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for Addiction?

It reduces the emotional and physical symptoms of trauma and PTSD.
It decreases distress from disturbing and traumatic memories.
It improves clients’ self-esteem and self-efficacy.
It may help resolve possible anticipated triggers in the future.

8. Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Addiction

What Is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)?

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy that was developed by Dr. Marsha M. Linehan to treat people who were suffering from severe suicidal ideation.

How is Dialectical Behavior Therapy Used to Treat Addiction?

It is designed to help people overcome self-destructive behaviors like addiction by teaching them how to live in the moment (mindfulness), find healthy ways of coping with stress, regulate their emotions, and improve their relationships with others. DBT therapists may utilize individual therapy, group therapy, and treatment interventions between sessions to help clients achieve positive, lasting results.

What Are the Benefits of Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Addiction?

DBT has proven to be effective in reducing self-harming behaviors, suicide attempts, and clients’ inpatient treatment days.
It helps clients learn how to regulate their emotions.
It addresses harmful behaviors that are barriers to recovery and that decrease quality of life.
It helps clients develop functional behaviors and apply them in everyday life.
DBT motivates clients to change the aspects of their lives that they can.

9. Matrix Model for Addiction

What is the Matrix Model?

The Matrix Model is used to help stimulant abusers overcome their addictions to drugs like methamphetamine, cocaine, and prescription stimulants.

How is the Matrix Model Used to Treat Addiction?

This method addresses a wide scope of contributing factors for addiction and uses cognitive behavioral therapy and family therapy (among other evidence-based methods) to focus on positive behavioral changes, relapse management, and participation in self-help groups to help clients achieve lasting sobriety.

What Are the Benefits of the Matrix Model for Addiction?

It uses drug testing to encourage honesty and genuine work toward sobriety.
It provides positive reinforcement to reward effort.
It helps clients recover from negative behavior and temporary setbacks.
It provides balance and structure in a lifestyle of recovery.
It provides educational information about addiction, recovery, life skills, and cognitive behavior.
It encourages participation among family members, not just the addicted individual.

10. Person-Centered Therapy for Addiction

What Is Person-Centered Therapy or Individual Therapy for Addiction?

Person-centered therapy is used to treat addiction, among other things. It focuses on treating the individual, rather than the substance abuse itself. It is grounded in the idea that shame and rejection hold us back from healing, while self-acceptance leads to positive change.

How is Person-Centered Therapy Used to Treat Addiction?

With person-centered therapy, the counselor or therapist meets with the client regularly and establishes a stable and grounded place where the client can find relief from an otherwise chaotic life. By providing empathy, unconditional love, and acceptance, the client learns to see himself or herself through another person’s eyes and begins practicing self-acceptance and reflection. This type of therapy can be very empowering for a person who is recovering from substance abuse and addiction.

What Are the Benefits of Individual Therapy for Drug Addiction?

It helps clients explore their thoughts, feelings, habits, and experiences to gain a better understanding of themselves and their addiction(s).
It gives clients someone who will listen to their problems without judgment and productively discuss them.
Helps clients establish a trusting and supportive relationship with someone who is fully invested in helping them reach their recovery goals.

What Are the Best Behavioral Therapies in Los Angeles for Drug Abuse Treatment?

Finding the best therapies for drug abuse in Los Angeles, CA will largely depend on the individual’s needs, circumstances, and personal experience with addiction. Often, many of the types of therapies listed above are used in conjunction with one another to provide a well-rounded approach to addiction treatment.

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Chris P

I've been to 12 rehabs over the last 20 years and NO other place has touch like Harmony Place! From the owner right down to the cleaning lady, everyone here is kinda and warm. God has blessed this place and I feel privileged to have come through here. I recommend anyone who is going through their struggle with mental health or substance abuse to pick up the phone and come! You won't regret it!

Joseph S

This place is incredible, kind, loving, patient, rigorous, educative, caring and the best place for recovery. Ill be part of the alumni crew

Monica G

I had very good experience at Harmony Place From first day I came, staff was very kind and make me feel welcome and safe. Everyone was friendly and always try to help me. The therapists are very good and caring. They listen to me and help me understand my problems better. I learn many things from them and feel stronger because of their support. The nurses also very nice and professional. They always check on me and make sure I am okay. Food was good and facilities were clean and comfortable. It help me feel more relaxed and focus on my recovery. Management also doing very good job. Everything was organized and you can see they really care about patients. I am very thankful for this place and all the people who work here. I recommend this center to anyone who needs help.

Denton

Awesome place great people u want to check this place out most definitely 😜

Tyler

A treatment center where the owners truly care about your recovery and after care.. cannot recommend enough

Jodana S

If you want to detox painlessly this is the place! The staff is A1. They truly care about us. The groups are awesome . Residential is crazy awesome! You live in a mansion. With a private chef who makes the best food. Community meeting that gets results fast, they care about your opinions. Pool and Jacuzzi are beautiful. If your struggling with addiction this is the house you should come to. I LOVE HARMONY PLACE!!!!! Thank you to all the staff they go above and beyond to make this experience comfortable therapeutic. Don't spend another day in your addiction come to Harmony Place right now!

Cass

I’ve been to 4 treatment centers before Harmony Place, and I can tell you without a single doubt that this is the absolute best by FAR. The past ones were luxury Residential Treatment centers that just treated every single client the same not tailoring to each individual, and were basically just in it for the money, dropping the ball each time. I can also tell you that I’ve never met the CEOs, but here, David comes to the facility almost every single day, and makes sure he get to know every individual here. He is incredibly kind, and was even willing to transfer me to another facility with a higher level of trauma therapy due to me having a lifetime of trauma and PTSD that just is going to take a long time to tackle. He truly cares about all of the clients having all of the tools that we need before getting released to the real world. No more of other CEO would ever be willing to miss an opportunity at making more money and even paired with my IMPECCABLE case manager to find a different facility that was more trauma based. My case manager, Sam, goes absolutely above and beyond in every single aspect. She makes sure you have a smooth transition into aftercare, provides out of this world advice when it comes to sobriety, and takes the time out of her day to make sure that FMLA and short-term disability are completely taken care of during your stay. I’ve never met a case manager that could ever compare to Sam. Ever. I feel lucky to have met her, genuinely. Marissa, my therapist, is SO SWEET, actually listens to you, and provides advice and therapy tailored to each individual’s experience. She’s handled every mood I’ve been in, never judged me, and allowed me to feel safe enough to tell her things I’ve never told any person or therapist in my 29 years of life. I’ve been going to therapy for the past 15 years, and none of those therapists even come close to how amazing she is. I’ve been to 4 other treatment centers in my life and none even come close to Harmony Place. The facility is clean, organized, and high-end. I would recommend Harmony place to my family, friends, and anyone seeking treatment. I feel SO BLESSED to have landed in their hands. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE IN THE CLINICAL STAFF BEYOND WORDS. I love you guys ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️. I feel more confident than ever in my Recovery.

Gabe H

Where to begin.. Harmony is a place that will forever be a part of my story as the first step in my recovery journey. I’m so grateful for this program. The staff is very friendly, and many of them understand what addiction is like, for they themselves have recovery stories of their own. They have an awesome team of therapists, group facilitators, nurses, RA technicians, medical and health professionals, a wonderful case manager for aftercare that cares deeply for your next steps; making sure you are set up for success. They have a wonderful admissions team (shoutout to Marielle who was so kind and understanding of my messed up situation). Everyone is very relatable and friendly. They invest heavily in the importance of diet and nutrition too - there’s a full time professional chef. I gained all the weight I lost and wanted back in the first two weeks lol. On top of the intensive programming they do throughout the day, they take us out to experience various kinds of outside groups to get a taste of the real world, and also take us on social outings during the weekend. If you’re serious about getting better this place will meet you where you’re at and prepare you to launch with a renewed mind and heart.

Monica P

I can't begin to explain just how amazing Harmony Place is. In fact, when we sit down with the owner, Jeff, and clinical director, David, on Monday mornings to have a house meeting, they ask us what they could be doing better. A bigger blender for smoothies is the ONLY thing we could come up with. Let me begin by addressing some negative reviews. If you notice many of them are from people, or are referring to people who have been asked to leave. It is because of harmony places protection of their clients that provide ideal conditions for healing and progress. There is a screening process that it is implemented where they make sure the clients they admit are ready to start a life of sobriety. Some people slip through the cracks. Some people find out a few days or weeks in that they've changed their minds. Some are inappropriate and break rules. It happens. When Harmony Place ask people to leave, It's because they are protecting the people who are here that want treatment. In effect, they're providing exactly what I needed for a genuine start to recovery. When I began my search for a treatment center, my requirements were that the facility's provide an environment in which its residents all want to be there and that it is ethically ran. I got that and so much more at Harmony Place. As well as a structured routine, they also provide a confidential and nurturing environment where one feels safe and where profound healing can begin. Their program offers a sound foundation where further progress in sober living is almost guaranteed. In group meetings, we enjoy getting to know ourselves again and with deeper understanding about why we are the way we are. We are provided with skills to handle real life. Its here that I've come to understand that its not addiction that has driven me to make a mess of my life. It is the trauma that I endured and not processing it correctly that lead to poor thinking patterns that opened the door to addiction resulting in poor life management. So we start at the bottom. Trauma. They help us understand that trauma has led to our own toxicity, what that trauma looks like and how to get out of our own way. Process groups help us learn how to take accountability and foster healthier relationships. I learned here that changing the way I think is absolutely possible and imperative to the healing process. Harmony Place offered me hope when I previously felt I was unfixable and a support team that truly loves me. Even after I leave here, I have contacts that almost demand I keep in touch and an alumni meeting where I can return to the facility on Thursday nights. I wasn't a 12 stepper when I came here but my first experience with it was not one where I was ready to stop using. I understand now that the steps will work for me. It's certainly is not the only modality that they teach. In one group, we are provided an opportunity to sit with a recently retired medical doctor to just ask questions. Another is with a nutritionist. There are a handful of people IN recovery that come to lead groups that are all accredited highly specialized where I felt understood and not judged. The knowledge I have gained here is life changing. It is also versatile and relatable for all types of people. my favorite group was dialectical behavioral therapy. There are breathing classes and sound bath groups and I started doing yoga in the morning. There's a dharma meeting they take you offsite that focuses on Buddhist values. A fantastic onsight chef provides three meals and you can have special requests. We facilitated our own Movie nights during free time. I cant forget to mention you get your own one on one meetings with your assigned primary therapist and there is comprehensive medical support complete with 24/7 nurses and a doctor that shows up throughout the week. If this is what you need to recover and you have mediCAL, cancel your mediCAL and get insurance Harmony Place accepts if you can. There are people to help you with that as well. Just call. Many, many thanks to the staff. ✔️Another life changed.🙏

Cody B

This is such an amazing place truly changed my life. I would recommend this place to anybody if they’re looking for a strong recovery house that truly cares about your recovery and not about just money So if you’re ready to change your life, don’t miss out on the greatness of harmony because this place is where it’s at

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