There’s an astonishing arsenal of therapy programs that can aid people in overcoming addiction. However, with so many different types of therapy, people don’t know much about some of them. One example of such a therapy is interpersonal counseling. With that said, what is interpersonal therapy, and how does it help people who have addictions?
What Is Interpersonal Therapy?
Interpersonal counseling is a type of therapy that focuses mostly on relationships and social roles. During the sessions, people work with therapists to identify specific problems in their lives. These conflicts typically center around relationships with friends, family members, and significant others. With help from counselors, they can correct these problems.
Often, interpersonal therapy looks at past relationships to improve relationships in the present. Usually, the sessions only last for a couple of months. In some cases, though, it can go on for years. The duration of the program depends on each person and their individual needs.
In order to solve problems in current relationships, interpersonal therapy focuses on four common issues. These four areas define what is interpersonal therapy, including:
- Unresolved grief
- Role transitions
- Interpersonal deficits
- Role disputes
Firstly, solving these problems requires people to identify that they have problems to fix. Secondly, they need to learn skills that improve their current relationships. Lastly, they must learn to express their emotions in a healthy manner to avoid problems later.
How Does Interpersonal Therapy Help People Who Struggle With Addiction?
It’s no secret that addiction places a significant strain on relationships. Fortunately, interpersonal therapy can help them reopen lines of communication and rebuild trust in these relationships.
An interpersonal therapy program can also help them safely process loss and grief. Typically, these issues lead to drug abuse. In these cases, they’re the underlying cause of the addiction. In order to truly overcome addiction, people have to deal with these underlying causes.
Furthermore, this kind of therapy can eliminate self-destructive behaviors. When people abuse drugs, their hostile actions often make them do things that they don’t want to do. When they fail to get their emotions under control, these feelings can quickly lead to relapse.
Take Your Life Back With Our Help
At Crestview Recovery, we want to teach you about what is interpersonal therapy. We strongly believe that therapy is the cornerstone of all good rehab treatment. For that reason, we offer a mix of therapies and programs, including:
- Holistic drug rehab
- Intensive outpatient program
- Individual counseling
- Aftercare
- Extended care addiction treatment
- Trauma therapy
Learn more about what is interpersonal therapy, and find out if it’s right for you. Take a stand against your addiction, and fight back with our help. Reach out to our caring staff members today at 866.262.0531 for more detailed information about our facility.
Since 2016, Dr. Merle Williamson, a graduate of Oregon Health Sciences University, has been the Medical Director at Crestview Recovery, bringing a rich background in addiction medicine from his time at Hazelden Treatment Center. He oversees outpatient drug and alcohol treatments, providing medical care, setting policies, detox protocols, and quality assurance measures. Before specializing in addiction medicine, he spent 25 years in anesthesiology, serving as Chair of Hospital Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and Chief of Anesthesia at Kaiser Permanente. This experience gives him a unique perspective on treating prescription drug addiction.
