How Individual Therapy Can Change Your Life
Individual therapy is a type of talking psychotherapy that uses psychological methods to assist you in overcoming mental and behavioural health problems such as addictions to substances, gambling, and sex, eating disorders, and managing the effects of trauma. Psychotherapy encompasses many therapeutic techniques from cognitive behavioural therapy to EMDR and Somatic Experiencing® to dialectal behaviour therapy.
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Addiction recovery is not merely about stopping problematic behaviour but looking at the underlying causes of addiction and resolving these issues to experience sustained recovery and prevent relapse. As such, individual therapy is an important part of any treatment programme for addiction.
At CATCH Recovery, our therapeutic team has established a comprehensive range of specialised therapies that target a range of addictions and the obstacles that can prevent recovery. We don’t take a ‘one size doesn’t fit all’ approach to addiction recovery, and therapies included in personalised care plans are tailored to suit individual needs.
What Is Individual Therapy for Addiction?
Addiction is an illness characterised by a persistent urge to use a substance or engage in mood-altering behaviours despite the harm and negative consequences experienced by you and those closest to you. Addictive behaviour can alter the brain and how it functions, particularly the reward system which causes the phenomenon of craving – an intense, urgent, or abnormal desire or longing for something.
Some key signs that you may be struggling with addiction include compulsive use of substances, preoccupation with substances or addictive behaviours, and continued addictive activity despite negative consequences. If you recognise these behaviours in yourself, individual therapy can help.
It is well established that psychotherapy is remarkably effective and research shows that most people who receive psychotherapy experience symptom relief and are better able to function in their lives. Individual therapy gives you a safe space to speak in complete privacy and confidentiality with a specialist therapist about anything you might be struggling with.
Some individual therapy options offer coping strategies and relapse prevention tools to help those struggling with addiction manage cravings and life’s triggers without relapsing. Other therapies focus on underlying issues that trigger addictive behaviour such as trauma, anxiety, depression, personality disorders, and/or mood disorders.
You don’t need to be in crisis or have reached rock bottom to have individual therapy. Anyone can benefit from having someone to speak with about things they might be struggling with including:
- dealing with stress
- eating disorders
- bereavement or loss
- lack of confidence
- coping with the effects of abuse
- feelings of sadness, grief, or emptiness
- mood swings
- difficulty with relationships
- sexual dysfunction
- self-harm
Individual therapy sessions are typically held once a week for 50 mins to one hour on an outpatient basis or perhaps more often as part of an inpatient addiction treatment programme. Psychotherapy can be short-term to deal with immediate issues, or long-term to help manage more complex mental health disorders that require continued care.
Specialist Therapies Offered at Catch Recovery
With the right therapist and the right type of therapy, individual therapy at CATCH Recovery can be a life-changing experience, helping you to recover from addiction, improve your mental health, and overcome social or emotional challenges.
Talking about your feelings might be difficult, to begin with, but your CATCH Recovery therapist will guide you through the process. During a session get upset or even angry. This is very normal and is even expected. Despite this, it can feel unsettling and intense if you aren’t used to expressing your emotions. Your therapist is trained to hold the space whilst you unpack your thoughts and feelings.
We work with a collection of talented therapists who offer a range of evidence-based therapies to target specific needs.
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Trauma Therapy
Trauma-informed addiction therapy treats addictions and associated mental health conditions such as trauma concurrently. There are various therapies and techniques used to help treat the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or complex PTSD (CPTSD) that may be leading to addictive behaviour. Symptoms include vivid flashbacks, intrusive thoughts or images, intense distress at real or symbolic reminders of traumatic events, and physical discomfort.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is a type of individual trauma therapy that views inadequately processed memories as the reason for the distressing symptoms of PTSD. EMDR individual therapy focuses on changing the way memories are stored in the brain through eye movements, to reduce, even eliminate, problematic symptoms.
Somatic Experiencing®
Somatic Experiencing®, or simply SE, is a body-centred approach to overcoming trauma developed by psychotherapist Dr. Peter A. Levine from his study of stress physiology, psychology, neuroscience, and medical biophysics. The SE approach aims to safely release traumatic shock ‘frozen’ in the body at times of overwhelm, allowing for the natural processing and healing of both PTSD and/or wounds of early life trauma.
Sex and Porn Addiction Therapy
Sex and porn addiction can be shrouded in shame which may prevent people from seeking support. Sex and porn addiction therapy creates a safe, supportive, and judgment-free environment where individuals can speak freely about issues relating to intimacy, emotional dysregulation, and relationships.
LGBTQ+ focused therapy
Research has shown that LGBTQ+ people are around twice as likely as heterosexual individuals to use illegal drugs or become alcohol dependent. CATCH Recovery understands that discrimination, victimisation, and enduring homophobic attitudes mean members of the LGBTQ+ community have specific therapeutic needs. As such, CATCH Recovery offers LGBTQ+-related therapy that looks at the common triggers of addiction including stigma around sexuality, lack of support, internal and external homophobia, trauma, and fear of rejection.
Gambling and Gaming Therapy
Recovery from problematic gambling and gaming involves individual behavioural therapy from someone who understands the nature of this specific addiction. Gambling and gaming therapists are well-placed to help gamblers and gamers understand what triggers their addiction and ways in which they might change their thinking and behaviour in order to recover and prevent relapse. A therapist may encourage individuals to seek group support from GamCare or Gamblers Anonymous alongside individual therapy.
Therapeutic Modalities Offered at Catch Recovery
Most types of therapy fall into groups, or therapeutic modalities, that share core features. Therapists at CATCH Recovery offer a range of approaches that can be tailored to suit you.
12-Step Philosophy
The CATCH Recovery programme and therapies align with the 12-step philosophy, an abstinence-based approach to addiction recovery that looks at someone’s motivation to change unhelpful thought patterns that lead to addictive behaviours. As such, clients are often encouraged to attend relevant 12-step fellowship meetings so they can begin building a community of like-minded individuals who are also on a journey of recovery.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT is a personalised individual therapy that uses techniques to help change negative thoughts, attitudes, and behaviours that may be inhibiting recovery from addiction. CBT helps people identify triggers, change their responses to triggers, and therefore the outcome which can prevent relapse.
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Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT)
CAT is based on the idea that early life experiences influence the way we relate to other people and ourselves. CAT looks at someone’s past to help them become aware of why they feel, think, and behave the way they do, so they can begin to develop new ways of coping in relationships and with life’s triggers.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
DBT is a therapeutic modality adapted from cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) that helps those who feel emotions very intensely. ‘Dialectical’ means trying to understand how two things that seem opposite could both be true which can specifically benefit those who struggle with ‘splitting’, a characteristic of borderline personality disorder. DBT aims to help someone understand, accept and manage difficult feelings and make positive changes in relationships.
Motivational Interviewing (MI)
MI is an effective therapeutic method that enhances motivation through the resolution of ambivalence. MI is based on three stages of motivation or change – the importance of change (willingness), the confidence to change (ability), and whether change is an immediate priority (readiness). Using MI techniques, an MI therapist can tailor motivational strategies to whichever stage of change a client might be in.
Systemic Family Therapy
Systemic family therapy considers the family to be one unit in which family members’ actions affect the other people in the unit and the unit as a whole. Systemic family therapy gives everyone in the family the chance to explore their feelings in an environment that values all equally and helps to identify unhelpful patterns in a family unit and how these can be improved.
Gestalt Therapy
Gestalt therapy is a therapeutic approach that helps individuals develop self-awareness by focusing on their present thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, rather than past experiences. This leads to a better understanding of the way they relate to others and their environment, bringing about change and new perspectives. Therapy assessment
A therapy assessment helps the CATCH Recovery therapeutic team learn about your current circumstances, personal history, the severity of your addiction, and whether you are suffering from other mental or physical issues. The results of the assessment help the team to make an informed recommendation on which therapist and type of therapy will best suit you and help you recover.
The team’s recommendation will take into account gender, language preferences, experience and specialisms. You play an active part in your recovery and if after a couple of sessions, you decide the allocated therapist is not right for you, this can be changed.