Residential Treatment

CBT uses cognitive restructuring as the basic facilitator of change and focuses on changing learned behavior by changing the thinking patterns, beliefs and perceptions. Individuals learn to reduce acting on impulse by linking their actions with thoughts, emotions, consequences/rewards of their behaviors.

Some skills that individuals learn:

• Making necessary changes by examining the relationship between daily events, thoughts, emotions and actions
• Identifying triggers associated with specific addictive behaviors, how to avoid these triggers, develop effective coping strategies, improving self-control to manage overwhelming emotions, and learn recovery management skills
• Learning the importance of goal setting
• Challenging cognitive distortions, modifying behavior by improving mood and decreasing negative thoughts
• Increasing personal awareness about the relationship between substance abuse and mental health and how they both affect each other
• Making necessary changes in relationships by learning how substance abuse affects family and other social relations
• Learning effective recovery management skills by: avoiding toxic relationship, improving communication and problem-solving skills

DBT teaches individuals how to accept themselves and their personal situations, avoid black and white thinking, and make the necessary changes by learning specific skills to help them:

• Increase personal awareness through mindfulness activities
• Improve ability to regulate emotions
• Improve interpersonal relationships, and
• Improve ability to cope effectively with stress

Trauma-Informed Care examines the relationship between substance abuse and trauma. Individuals learn about the impact of trauma on their substance abuse and vice versa. Some of the concepts and skills individuals learn in this group are:

• Recognizing and increasing resiliency
• Empowering self
• Learning to love and have compassion for self
• Asking for help
• Taking good care of self
• Recognizing red flags of trauma or substance abuse and learn coping skills to handle them
• Learning effective coping skills to reduce stress, anxiety and depression
• Building a support system to support trauma and substance abuse recovery
• Setting healthy boundaries
• Creating and maintaining healthy relationships

This group therapy teaches individuals how to take care of themselves in regard to different areas such as physical, emotional, relational, spiritual, and psychological. Individuals learn how to create sustainable habits of self-care by learning:

• The importance of eating healthy, sleeping well, exercising regularly and taking care of mental health
• How to establish healthy relationships with others
• New ways to nurture mind, body and soul
• How to identify effective coping skills to not allow substances to interfere with self-care
• How to establish a connection with spirituality (if it is important to them)

Improving Family Relationships helps individuals learn how to improve family relationships by understanding the following:

• How addiction affects different family members, family roles and family dynamics
• The importance of setting healthy boundaries with others
• New concepts to improve communication skills
• How to build safety, forgiveness and trust

The purpose of conflict-resolution therapy is to help individuals learn how to improve their communication, problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills. Some of the skills individuals learn in this group are:

• How to effectively respond to powerful emotions
• How to manage anger and conflict without violence
• The power of cooperation, persuasion and negotiation
• Willingness to see a different perspective; power of point of view

This group therapy helps individuals process their daily struggles, fears, anxieties and worries. Through feedback given to them by peers and therapists, individuals increase their own awareness about themselves, the world around them, and how they relate with others. The process, feedback and awareness are designed to help individuals identify what they need to change in their personal lives.

Some skills that individuals learn in this group are:

• Seeing things from a different perspective about the various ways each individual influences self, others and the environment
• Learning self-empowerment through making better choices and using coping skills
• Maintaining healthy relationships and boundaries with others
• Learning to resolve emotional conflict and daily struggles through feedback provided
• Increasing awareness about self, others and the ways each individual relates to others
• Maintaining safety for self and others

The goal of this group is to help individuals learn more about themselves, understand the reasons behind their actions, learn certain coping skills and identify certain changes they need to make that are essential for a healthy recovery. Individuals learn skills that help them with:

• Making amends with others and living a life with gratitude
• Embracing change
• Identifying triggers that lead to relapse and skills to cope with these triggers
• Improving communication skills
• Setting and maintaining healthy boundaries
• Improving emotion regulation
• Developing spiritual connections (if important to the individuals)
• Understanding the importance of self-care
• Creating and maintaining supportive social networks

This recovery group therapy is designed to help women and men process gender-specific topics that pertain to stereo-typing, sexism, racism, social stigma, prejudice, discrimination, etc. Individuals find their voice as they process topics such as:

• Perceptions of the socially accepted right and wrong behaviors for each gender
• The need for independence and autonomy and how these needs are impacted by substances
• View of self and its impact by substances
• Perceptions of strength, courage and failure for different genders in different situations: recovery management, parenting, etc.
• Learning how to cope with rejection and loss
• Parenting roles and substance abuse
• Sexuality and substance abuse; body image; sexual identity
• Creating healthy relationships
• Improving communication skills

Recovery management helps individuals focus on a recovery future for both addiction and mental health. Individuals learn skills to create a healthy lifestyle that is conducive for long-term and successful recovery by addressing some of the following:

• How to create an effective recovery management plan which includes a sober schedule, a structured environment, utilization of support resources
• How to create a life with meaning and purpose
• Understand the stages of change and where each individual is in the process of change
• How to identify and cope effectively with internal and external triggers, with the relapse cycle and behaviors
• How to adhere to professional and/or educational commitments

Art therapy helps individuals explore their feelings, increase self-awareness and express themselves in unique ways through a creative process. Individuals utilize different forms of art and music and engage in various projects to allow creativity and self-expression which enable healing.

This group engages individuals in a cognitive, behavioral and interpersonal level. It is based on the work of Brene Brown (“Connections” curriculum, books such as “The gifts of imperfections,” “Daring greatly,” “Rising strong,” “Braving the wilderness,” and “Dare to lead.” The group helps individuals recognize shame as a universal experience, understand where shame is coming from, encourages individuals to be open and vulnerable in discussing their own feelings and invites individuals to embrace authentic selves and authentic living. Some of the topics covered in this group are:

• Understanding shame, reactions to shame and shame resiliency
• Practicing critical awareness
• Defining vulnerability and authenticity
• Practicing empathy and shame resilience

This group encourages learning based on experiential activities. Individuals participate in activities that foster self-acceptance, identifying individual strengths, challenging certain areas that need emotional growth, improving communication skills, developing a sense of belonging and other activities that promote emotional wellness.

Meditation and mindfulness help individuals focus on the mind and body connection. Through meditation, mindfulness and imagery, individuals learn and practice skills of:

• Self-awareness
• Being in the present moment
• Creating a safe place
• Regulating emotions
• Reducing stress and anxiety
• Develop loving kindness for self and others
• Accepting change

We include families and loved ones in the ongoing treatment and recovery plans. Our excellent and frequent communication with both families and individuals are important to the healing process and ensuring long-term wellness.