One-on-One Counseling for Alcohol and Drug Rehab
Medically reviewed by: Amelia Hasenohrl Lpc CHt
Ms. Hasenohrl is a Licensed Professional Counselor with over 27 years of experience, specializing in helping clients overcome anxiety, panic disorder and the fear that prevents them from effectively managing their everyday lives.
Learn About One-on-One Counseling Rehabilitation Centers
List Of All One-on-One Counseling Treatment Centers Nearby
One-on-One Counseling Addiction Treatment Centers
One-on-one counseling is a cornerstone of the alcohol and drug rehab process, having been used as a primary means of treating substance use disorder (SUD) and practically every other mental health issue for decades. Combined with group therapy, supplemental therapies, and (in the context of drug or alcohol treatment) medical detox, individualized counseling helps to comprise a fully formed treatment experience, during which patients can increase their self-awareness, learn about the origins and triggers of their substance abuse, and learn to cultivate healthy habits so they can live independently in everyday recovery. Very often, this type of therapy is completed well beyond the initial stage in treatment and continues for years into recovery.
Prevalence of Individualized Counseling at Large
As far back as 2004, the American Psychological Association (APA) reported that nearly sixty million people had received counseling in the past two years, and 80 percent found it to be effective. At the same time, data from Statista indicates that, as of 2017, nearly 26 percent of American adults eighteen to twenty-five; 22 percent of American adults twenty-six to forty-nine; and 14 percent of American adults over the age of fifty suffer from mental health issues. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reports that only half of those individuals actually receive treatment.
In addition to SUD, millions of Americans receive counseling for such mental health issues as:
- Agoraphobia
- Anorexia Nervosa
- Any anxiety disorder
- Any mood disorder
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- Binge eating disorder
- Bipolar disorder
- Borderline personality disorder
- Bulimia nervosa
- Eating disorders
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Major depression
- Mental illness
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Panic disorder
- Persistent depressive disorder (Dysthymic disorder)
- Personality disorders
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Prevalence
- Schizophrenia
- Serious mental illness
- Social anxiety disorder
- Social phobia
- Specific phobia
- Suicidal ideations
Many of the above conditions can lead to or are caused by SUD, in what are called co-occurring disorders.
What Happens During One-on-One Counseling?
Each patient’s course of individualized counseling will vary according to their care needs and lifestyle; however, the process invariably consists of addressing the root causes of their addiction, the traumatic and dysfunctional experiences that have contributed to their drug or alcohol abuse, and the behavioral consequences that they’ve sustained during their active drinking and drug use.
SUD is a cyclical condition that often takes sufferers to dangerous and undignified places out of a need to drink or use drugs; the sheer memories and lasting emotional impact of these experiences, by themselves, can warrant intensive psychotherapy to help patients avoid having to relive them without relapse. Whether it’s family division, PTSD due to assault, or crime-related injury, an acute medical diagnosis or any other type of life-changing experience many require therapy for the aftermath of addictions, just as much as their psychological and behavioral origins.
In addition to the traditional talk therapy aspect, one-on-one counseling employs a wide range of supplemental techniques depending upon patients’ individual conditions, including but not limited to:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
- Art and music therapy
- Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT)
- Motivational interviewing
- Role-playing therapy
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Family-involved therapy
Supplemental therapies used in counseling are contingent upon patients’ care needs, specialization of mental health professionals, facility resources, and more. Throughout the counseling process, patients work with their counselors or therapists to develop behavioral coping mechanisms to assist in relapse prevention, independence in recovery, and management of toxic and dysfunctional emotions. This process includes learning to avoid contact and engagement with illicit drugs, and what thought patterns to rely on in the presence of alcohol, prescription painkillers, and other drugs.
The reality of recovery is that consumption of legal and illegal drugs goes on regardless of the individual’s ability to be around them. Very often, one-on-one counseling in alcohol and drug rehab is the first and last line of defense between patients and the paralyzing vulnerability that can lead to relapse and further withdrawal symptoms. The process helps patients develop the confidence and behavioral framework to stay clean and sober.
The Need for Counseling after Rehab
Any quality alcohol and drug rehab program will offer comprehensive and realistic aftercare plans to help patients build on the behavioral progress made in recovery. A fundamental element of these relapse-prevention plans is a referral to addiction-trained therapists who are local to outgoing patients so they can continue one-on-one counseling beyond the immediate treatment program. An individual’s recovery doesn’t end once they leave treatment—it must be nurtured with post-treatment techniques to ensure overall health and wellness. The problems developed and faced actively using are there waiting when patients complete their programs. Post-treatment counseling gives the strength, advocacy, and care needed to face these challenges and rebuild their lives.
Does Insurance Cover One-on-One Counseling?
There are multiple means of paying for treatment for individualized counseling. Any drug and alcohol rehab program will invariably include some type of one-on-one psychotherapy component, and for those with limited or no means, Medicare or Medicaid may be able to help pay for all or part of an outpatient care program. Alternatively, prospective patients may be able to use their private insurance to pay for care. The best way to determine your options is by speaking with the admissions and intake staff of the treatment center you’re considering, to find out the scope of your coverage. More options are available now than ever.
An Enduring Standard in Addiction and Mental Health Care
Strictly speaking, the addiction process begins, progresses, and ends with individualized counseling. For decades, therapy has helped patients suffering from SUD and a full array of other mental health issues to develop the psychological tools they need to reach their full potential in everyday life and maintain their health, sobriety, and peace of mind. If you or someone you care about is suffering from SUD, one-on-one counseling is a critical pillar of a comprehensive overall treatment process. Get the help you need, now.
Resources:
