Therapy Services for Addiction: Types of Therapy in Colorado

If you’re like many Colorado residents struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, you may struggle with a deep sense of hopelessness, unsure of where to turn for help. Therapy can play a key role in helping you win the fight of your life – the fight against the pain of addiction. AspenRidge offers first-rate therapy services near Denver, but you can also pursue therapy independently of rehab or continue with therapy after you check out.

Therapy and Addiction FAQ

What Causes Addiction and Do I Need Drug Rehab in Colorado?

Therapy services in Lakewood Co at our Colorado counseling center

Though a number of factors can conspire to make you an addict – including genetics, stress, and a previous history of addiction – the single biggest risk factor for becoming an addict is using alcohol or drugs. No matter how stressed you are or how many risk factors you face, you will never develop an addiction if you don’t use alcohol or drugs in the first place.

Marijuana provides a compelling example of this phenomenon. Colorado recently legalized marijuana, and many people are able to use the drug either recreationally or medically without a problem. But there’s no reliable way to detect who will and who won’t become an addict. The result? Between 10% and 15% of marijuana users eventually develop addictions, and nearly half of regular users develop an addiction. If you want to avoid addiction, steer clear of alcohol and drugs. If you can’t do that, then reduce your use as much as possible.

Can Therapy Treat a Disease?

If addiction is a disease, you might be incredulous as to how therapy could possibly treat it. But therapy successfully treats a number of mental health conditions, and has even been shown to help people manage pain more effectively. Just as addiction changes your brain, the way you think, the interactions you have, and your response to addiction itself can also change your brain. Addiction therapy works to reverse some of the damage of addiction while offering you concrete, actionable steps for moving forward into a life free of addiction.

Research has repeatedly shown that even a single therapy session can begin to change your brain almost immediately. After intensive therapy, your brain may process information completely differently than it once did. The therapeutic process won’t work miracles overnight, but slow and steady progress can quickly add up to significant changes.

What Will My Therapist in Colorado Do to Help?

If you’ve ever seen therapy portrayed in movies or on television, you may have some inaccurate ideas about what therapy really is. Therapy isn’t just about talking about your feelings, and your therapist is not a paid friend. Therapists do much more than just listen. Instead, therapy is an interactive process that helps you gain insight into your behavior. In so doing, you can change problematic patterns, develop new coping skills, deepen your strengths, and work toward a life of permanent sobriety.

Because every addict’s needs are a little different, no two therapy sessions will be exactly alike. In general, though, your therapist in Colorado will offer you at least the following:

  • A chance to set clear goals regarding your life and addiction.
  • Assistance exploring the reasons behind your addiction and your ongoing triggers for use.
  • Help honing your strengths.
  • Guidance to help you recognize long-standing problematic behavior patterns.
  • Advice on alternative stress management strategies that don’t rely on alcohol or drugs.
  • Assistance talking to your friends and family about your addiction.
  • Support when you’re struggling emotionally and have no one to talk to.

Drug therapy in Colorado is, by law, completely confidential. Your therapist cannot tell anyone what you say in your sessions unless you are a danger to yourself and others. And even then, your therapist can only reveal as much information as is necessary to protect you or others. You should feel free to say what you want in therapy, because therapy is a place of compassion, not judgment.

Does Addiction Treatment in Colorado Include Mental Health?

One of the most important reasons why therapy is so effective at treating addiction is that many addictions are an indirect result of mental illness. About half of all addicts have a mental illness such as depression, PTSD, or generalized anxiety disorder. Over time, these challenges can wear down your emotional resilience, expose you to intense stress, and undermine the quality of your judgment. Therapy can treat both addiction and mental illness. If you have a mental illness, therapy becomes even more important, because your therapist can help you find ways to manage both your addiction and your mental illness.

Symptoms of Co-Occurring Mental Health Issues

If you’re not sure whether you suffer from a co-occurring mental health issue, some common mental illnesses and their symptoms include:

  • Depression, which results in intense feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and anger.
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder, which results from experiencing a traumatic event or near-death experience.
  • Generalized anxiety disorder, which results in long-standing feelings of fear, panic, and anxiety that is not connected to any single event.
  • Panic disorder causes those suffering to experience intense panic attacks out of nowhere. Many people mistake their first panic attack for a heart attack.
  • Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) reduces your ability to control your behavior, makes it hard to listen and concentrate, leads to hyper behavior, and can make time management challenging.
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) causes its sufferers to engage in compulsive behavior – such as counting, tapping, cleaning, or saying a mantra to yourself – to reduce feelings of anxiety and panic.
  • Bipolar disorder causes you to cycle between intense feelings of happiness and intense depression.
  • Phobias result in irrational fears of otherwise non-threatening objects.
  • Personality disorders undermine your relationships and change your personality in pathological and unhealthy ways.
  • Eating disorders change your eating habits such that you eat far too much or far too little, and experience a distorted body image.

What Can I Do to Increase the Effectiveness of Addiction Therapy?

Therapy isn’t something your therapist can do to you without your cooperation. Instead, therapy’s outcome is heavily dependent upon the effort you put forth. While your therapist will guide you through the process and give you plenty of opportunities to grow and share, it’s ultimately up to you whether therapy works or not. Some steps you can take to increase the effectiveness of therapy include:

  • Being honest with your therapist.
  • Letting your therapist know when you’re uncomfortable with something that happens in therapy.
  • Letting your therapist know when you’ve slipped up and used drugs.
  • Telling your therapist about any and all medical conditions you have, as well as any drugs – including herbal supplements and over-the-counter medications – you take.
  • Continuing with therapy homework outside of therapy.
  • Allowing your therapist to challenge you, and accepting his or her insights when he or she does.
  • Showing up for regular therapy sessions.
  • Not wasting your precious time on side tangents. It might be fun to talk about what you did this weekend or your favorite hobbies, but unless these issues are relevant to your addiction, it’s a waste of time to try to discuss them in therapy.
  • Not trying to impress your therapist. Your therapist’s job is to accept you without judgment, not adore or worship you.

Therapy Services: Individual, Family, Group, and Other Counseling Options

In movies, therapy services always center around a single person – often one who’s lying on a couch. In real life, though, therapists meet with clients in a wide variety of settings. Some therapists even make house calls or meet with clients at their workplaces. It’s up to you to decide what therapy setting works best for you, and many recovering addicts opt to blend several different options. Your therapist can help you determine what approach – or combination of approaches – is likely to work best for your needs.

Individual Addiction Therapy

Individual therapy services are the single most important option for moving past addiction. No matter what other settings you choose, your therapist will likely recommend individual therapy. Individual therapy offers you complete confidentiality, in conjunction with the therapist’s undivided attention. While other forms of therapy focus on your relationships with others, individual therapy is your chance to explore your mind, behavior patterns, and your relationship with yourself.

Group Therapy for Addiction in Colorado

Group therapy services in Colorado are a popular option for treating addiction because, in a group therapy session, you can explore common issues with people who have been where you are now. In this approach, the therapist is more of a facilitator than an active participant. Instead, you’ll draw on the group for support and may explore common themes and challenges you all face, while drawing upon the wisdom of people who are farther along in their recovery journey than you are.

Family Therapy for Addiction in Colorado

Addiction is a family disease. Your loved ones may not use drugs or alcohol, but their lives are almost certainly affected by your addiction. Family therapy services give you the chance to treat the family issues your addiction has caused. Your therapist can help you make amends to your family, educate your family about the disease of addiction, or address underlying issues that led to your addiction. Family therapy is especially important for teen and young adult addicts, and for parents whose addiction has impacted their children.

Denver, Colorado Addiction Couples Counseling

If you’re in a relationship, your addiction may have brought your relationship to the brink. Couples counseling in Colorado is a chance to treat the effects addiction has had on your relationship. Together you’ll explore conflict management strategies, discuss issues with intimacy, and develop a plan for getting your relationship back on track. If you’re unsure whether you should stay in your current relationship, couples counseling can help you make the decision together in a respectful manner.

Therapeutic Modality: Approaches to Treatment

Therapeutic modality refers to the specific philosophical approach the therapist uses to treat you. Most addiction therapists actually blend several different modalities to ensure you get therapy custom-tailored to your specific needs. But if a particular approach to therapy sounds appealing to you, don’t be afraid to ask your therapist to try it.

As with other areas of science, psychology has had some bad ideas in its past. A handful of therapeutic methods are now discredited, and you should not pursue therapy with a therapist who uses them. These include:

  • Conversion therapy services – sometimes referred to as reparative therapy, this type of therapy endeavors to reverse sexual orientation.
  • Primal scream therapy
  • Rebirthing therapy
  • Energy/chakra therapy
  • Shamanic healing
  • Crystal healing
  • Healing touch
  • Tapping therapy
  • Scared Straight
  • Moreno’s psychodrama

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in Colorado

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of therapy in Colorado that works to help you re-frame your thoughts, thereby allowing you to change your behavior. You’ll steadily work to detect automatic negative thoughts about addiction, and then your therapist will work to help you replace those thoughts with more positive and accurate thoughts. Over time, this can help you combat cravings and move beyond depression. For instance, “I can’t deal with this craving” might be replaced with “This craving will pass soon.”

CBT is highly effective, and works well for people who do not want to explore their childhoods or spend years in therapy. In many cases, you’ll see results within a matter of weeks. You’ll likely have to do lots of homework, though, since CBT’s goal is to help you establish new and healthier habits. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is sometimes referred to as cognitive therapy or behavior therapy. An offshoot, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, is highly effective as well.

Dialectical-Behavioral Therapy in Colorado

Dialectical-behavioral therapy (DBT) was originally developed to treat the relationship challenges people with borderline personality disorder face. But over time, therapists have realized that DBT can effectively treat a wide range of conditions, including addiction. DBT works by helping you more effectively manage the emotions that cause you to use drugs and alcohol. DBT therapists in Colorado meet with you one-on-one once per week, but you’ll also have group therapy sessions. In most cases, you’ll have to complete homework every week.

DBT is a formulaic approach to therapy, so you’ll need to commit to following through with the entire program. If you back out after a few weeks, you may not get good results. In most cases, DBT patients see results within a month or two.

Mindfulness-Based Therapy in Colorado

Mindfulness-based therapies in Colorado are often blended with other approaches, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy. This therapy draws on principles of meditation to train you to more effectively control your thoughts. In most cases, you’ll be expected to meditate at least once per day, and you may also need to keep a thought log or actively work to “notice” your thoughts.

Psychodynamic Therapy in Colorado

Psychodynamic therapy in Colorado, originally developed by Sigmund Freud, is the oldest and perhaps best known approach to psychotherapy. This approach builds upon the belief that early childhood experiences can heavily influence our lives. By exploring these early experiences, you’ll build insight into your current behavior, develop stronger relationship skills, and gain mastery over your addiction. Psychodynamic therapy works well when blended with other forms of therapy, but can also work on its own.

This approach to therapy typically takes the most time. However, research has shown that its effects are also the longest-lasting. After completing psychodynamic therapy, you might not need to ever attend therapy again, and your risk of relapsing will be dramatically reduced.

Interpersonal Therapy in Colorado

Interpersonal therapy services in Colorado is an approach to therapy that uses the relationship with the therapist as a proxy for other relationships. For instance, if you have a history of troubled romantic relationships, your therapist will use therapy sessions to explore the thoughts and behaviors that have contributed to those difficulties. This process allows you to better understand how your behavior affects your feelings, potentially freeing you up to combat your addiction with ease and skill. Interpersonal therapy typically blends several other therapeutic methods. For example, an interpersonal therapist may also practice CBT, DBT, or psychodynamic psychotherapy.

Humanistic Therapy Services in Denver

Humanistic approaches to therapy services in Colorado – which can include person-centered, gestalt, and similar approaches – focus on your strengths. Through humanistic approaches, you’ll find new ways to build upon old skills, celebrate your triumphs, and treat yourself as an expert on your own life. Rather than pathologizing addiction, humanistic therapists work to help you find better, healthier strategies rooted in your own needs and strengths.

Many therapists in Colorado describe themselves as client-centered. This simply means that they structure their approach according to the client’s needs, prioritizing the client’s lived experiences and listening to the client’s perspective. Others may say that they’re eclectic, which means that they blend several different modalities. AspenRidge provides therapy, drug rehab, and alcohol rehab in Denver, Colorado.

How to Choose Therapy Services in Lakewood CO

Research has repeatedly shown that the relationship between the therapist and the client matters more than any single other factor for recovery. Thus if you want to move beyond your addiction, it’s worth your while to choose a therapist with whom you feel comfortable. It’s common to have to try several therapists before you find the perfect fit. After all, you don’t instantly develop a friendship with each person you meet; nor should you expect to like every therapist.

In a Colorado drug rehab, you may not always have the chance to choose your own therapist. Instead, a therapist who meets your needs or who has experience with addicts like you may be assigned to you. This doesn’t mean your right to ask questions disappears! Instead, give this therapist a chance, but if it doesn’t work out or you don’t feel understood, don’t shy away from requesting a new or different therapist.

Addiction therapy works best when you’re fully committed to the process. Your therapist may be the expert on mental health, but you are the expert on your own life. Don’t be afraid to assert your needs, and know that speaking up when something doesn’t work is an important part of the therapeutic process.

Questions to Ask a Potential Therapist

Asking lots of questions can help you determine whether you’ve found the right match, and in so doing, help you avoid spending lots of money on a therapist who is not right for you.

Before beginning therapy, consider asking the following questions. And if your therapist is hesitant to answer, find someone else. Good therapists are eager to spend the first session talking about their treatment philosophy:

  • What specific therapeutic modality do you use? How do you implement this modality? If you use an eclectic approach, how do you blend several different approaches?
  • How long will it take for me to get better?
  • How can I know if I am making progress?
  • If I disagree with you or with something you recommend, how will you respond?
  • Are you licensed to practice in my state? What is your license number?
  • Have you ever been disciplined by a professional board or oversight committee?
  • How long have you been practicing? How long have you worked with addicts? What are your other areas of expertise?
  • Do you endorse a specific religious or political philosophy? You may find you’re more comfortable with someone who shares your values. An addict who is committed to women’s equality, for instance, might feel uncomfortable with a therapist who endorses more rigid gender roles.
  • Where did you attend school? What specific training or certification do you have in addiction treatment and management?
  • How much will therapy cost?
  • How often should I attend therapy sessions?
  • What can I do to maximize the effectiveness of therapy?
  • Can loved ones come to therapy with me if I want them to?
  • Do you mind if I record our session? Some addicts find that listening to sessions later can help them get more out of therapy.
  • What steps do you take to protect my confidentiality?

AspenRidge: First-Rate Therapy Services and Addiction Treatment in Colorado

Located in Colorado, AspenRidge unequivocally endorses the healing power of therapy. The right therapists have the ability to change lives, help their clients move closer to their dreams, and even save clients from a premature death. When you’re struggling with addiction, the right therapist truly could be the only thing standing between you and a life of pain.

Many addicts feel completely alone and isolated. Some don’t have the benefits of a best friend or a loving family, and almost all addicts go through life feeling ashamed, guilty, and totally unvalidated.

At AspenRidge, we want to offer you something better than loneliness and ostracism. Our therapists really listen. We understand, respect your values, and meet you where you are.

Rather than forcing you to do something you’re not ready for, our therapists work with you to design a customized recovery plan that feels safe and comfortable. Whether it’s just addiction, a combination of addiction or mental illness, or a lifetime of pain and trauma, our therapists will help you finally, at long last, achieve the peace you deserve. We use an active approach. We don’t just sit and nod. Our staff listens and helps you.

We know it can feel a bit intimidating to open up to a total stranger. But therapy isn’t about handing your brain over to someone you don’t know. We know you’re the expert on your own life. Moreover, we don’t know everything, and we’re eager to learn from you what the world feels like for you. We then use that knowledge to help you. Therapy is a collaborative process, not something you’re passively subjected to. And the results of therapy are heavily dependent on what you put into it. Many of our clients report that therapy was the first time they felt cared for, the first time they felt in control, the first time they felt safe, in years. We want to offer that to you, too.

Overcome Addiction With Therapy Services in Lakewood CO

Addiction can leave you feeling hopeless, but AspenRidge is a place where hope thrives. We offer so much more than therapy, too. Our program provides comprehensive treatment to people who are finally ready to take control of their lives. We know it takes immense courage to seek help. Overall, we value that courage, and we’ll show you how to remain courageous even when the going gets rough. We don’t promise that the journey will be easy, but we do commit to making it as easy as possible. And we’re absolutely sure that, when you’re sober, happy, and finally living the life of your dreams, you’ll agree all the work you’ve put toward your recovery was absolutely worth it.

We operate from a place of accountability, not a culture of blame. You didn’t ask for your addiction. You do, however, control what you do next. We hope you’ll agree that you no longer deserve to live with addiction; indeed, you never deserved this pain. It’s up to you to take the first step toward getting the help you need. We’re just a phone call away, and we’re standing by ready to help with our premier Colorado drug rehab program. Don’t lose another second of your life to the pain of addiction.

You deserve so much better, and we’ll show you the path out of the pain with therapy services in Lakewood CO. Call us today at 866-977-8625 to begin the insurance verification process!

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