Types of Addiction & Mental Health Therapies at Forward Motion Health

01

Individual Therapy

Individual counseling provides the opportunity to work one-on-one with a licensed counselor or therapist to identify and address addiction-related behaviors, identify and process past trauma, develop alternative coping strategies, and work through the emotional impact that often occurs due to substance use. The nature of the therapeutic relationship is also therapeutic in its own right — having a person to provide consistency and support during difficult conversations is very powerful.

02

Group Therapy

Group therapy brings people together under the supervision of a licensed addiction therapist to address shared challenges related to addiction recovery. Group therapy builds communication skills, fosters accountability, and reduces feelings of isolation. The impact of sharing and hearing others’ stories is a powerful part of healing that cannot be replicated in one-on-one therapy alone.

03

Family Therapy

Addiction affects the entire family. Family therapy addresses the impact by working together to help couples and families heal from damaged relationships, communication breakdowns, and enabling behaviors that can undermine recovery. Involving loved ones in the recovery process has been shown to improve overall treatment outcomes and to provide families with tools to offer healthy support.

04

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most widely studied forms of psychotherapy for addiction. CBT helps clients identify their distorted thinking patterns that drive the use of substances, learn to work through those distorted beliefs, and develop concrete coping strategies to manage cravings and high-risk situations.

05

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Dialectical behavior therapy is a form of cognitive-behavioral intervention that incorporates mindfulness strategies to help clients regulate intense emotions. It has been found to be effective for people with co-occurring disorders such as depression and PTSD, and for those experiencing chronic relapse or destructive behavior.

06

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT is an evidence-based therapy that enables people to accept thoughts and feelings that they have no ability to influence while still taking action towards achieving the life they want. Instead of attempting to avoid cravings, difficult emotions, or negative memories, patients learn to acknowledge these aspects of themselves without being ruled by them. ACT is a very effective form of treatment for those struggling with addiction, as it specifically targets the avoidance patterns that contribute significantly to substance use.

07

Motivational Interviewing (MI)

Motivational interviewing is a collaborative, goal-oriented process in which clients explore their ambivalence about changing their behavior. Rather than confronting resistance, therapists help clients identify their own motivation for recovery and develop commitment to pursuing it. MI has been found to be particularly helpful for people beginning their recovery and still in the process of developing that commitment.

08

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR is an evidence-based therapy developed to treat trauma. Because unresolved traumatic experiences are often a driver of substance use issues, EMDR has become an important piece of addiction recovery — allowing clients to resolve painful or traumatic experiences that have contributed to their addiction without having to tell their story in detail.

09

Art Therapy

Art therapy is another way to access emotional material that may be unreachable through verbal therapy alone. Clients create paintings, drawings, collages, and other works to convey feelings about traumatic events, emotional responses, and experiences that cannot be articulated through words. There is no expectation for artistic talent. The focus of art therapy is on the process rather than the product. Many report that art therapy reaches places that traditional talk therapy cannot.

10

Medication Management

Sometimes the recovery journey is made possible through medication. Medication management is the careful oversight of prescribed medications used as part of each client’s overall treatment plan. The medical team assesses if prescribed medications are clinically appropriate, prescribes them when necessary, reviews response and side effects, and alters the plan as treatment evolves. Prescription medications can include antidepressants, mood stabilizers for co-occurring mental health diagnoses, and FDA-approved medications used in medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorders.

11

Yoga Therapy

Yoga therapy uses movement, breath, and mindfulness to promote healing on a physical and emotional level. Yoga is especially beneficial to those whose nervous system has become altered by years of substance use, trauma, or chronic stress and is a useful way to regulate bodily response — enhancing sleep quality, decreasing anxiety levels, increasing emotional resiliency, and reconnecting clients with a body that has possibly been “numbed” for years. No previous experience is expected.

12

Recovery Fitness

Recovery-focused fitness uses physical activity as a clinical tool to aid in recovery, not merely as an amenity. Research indicates that exercise decreases cravings, enhances mood, improves sleep quality, and promotes physical restoration of a body that has been damaged by addiction. Recovery-focused fitness programs are designed to meet each client where they are physically and emotionally to establish healthy habits that foster continued recovery.

13

Holistic Therapies

Holistic therapy addresses a person’s overall well-being — body, mind, and spirit — and can include yoga, meditation, breathwork, nutritional counseling, and other interventions that promote the overall health of the nervous system and develop healthy daily rhythms. Holistic therapy complements evidence-based treatments by providing clients with sustainable ways to cope with stress and anxiety without substances.

14

Relapse Prevention

Relapse prevention involves identifying high-risk situations or circumstances for relapse, teaching clients how to use coping skills to manage potential triggers, and developing a tangible plan to respond when confronted with triggers. Clients leave treatment with a clear strategy for how to manage cravings, who to contact when cravings arise, and how to navigate specific people, locations, and circumstances that have resulted in past substance use. When implemented effectively, relapse prevention is one of the most actionable components of treatment.

15

Psychoeducation

Psychoeducation educates clients about what is happening in their brain, body, and relationships when addiction, substance use disorders, and co-occurring mental illnesses are at play. This knowledge reduces shame by replacing uncertainty and guesswork with clarity, providing clients with language for previously confusing and emotionally isolating experiences. Psychological education is delivered in both individual and group formats, focusing on the neurobiology of addiction, trauma’s role in substance use, co-occurring disorders, family dynamics, and the recovery process.