Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Utah Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Steps Recovery Center recognizes how vital the mind, body, and spirit are in their connection to the whole person. We take a holistic approach to treating opiate addiction that includes treating the whole person, and find that it tends to be more successful, especially since addiction affects every aspect of a person’s life. With a customized and individualized program that includes cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBD), a holistic approach just makes sense. It affords an opportunity to meet the patient’s physical and psychological needs and allows them to engage physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Take That First Step

What is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy?

What to Expect from CBT?

Types of Drug Addiction CBT Treats

What is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy?

Cognitive-behavioral therapy or CBT is a classification of mental health counseling that began in the 1960s by Dr. Aaron T. Beck. According to the National Association for Mental Illness (NAMI), CBT is a type of psychotherapy different from traditional psychodynamic therapy since the patient and therapist work together actively to address and manage problematic thoughts and feelings to overcome addiction. It’s a popular addiction treatment and works well with other therapies. Along with addiction, CBT can also help those with co-occurring disorders, such as:

Anxiety
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
Bipolar Disorder
Eating disorders
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Those with addictions may say they want to get better and change their behaviors of addiction, but find it extremely difficult to do so. More than 50 percent of addicts living with dual diagnoses have not received medical treatment or psychotherapy intervention associated with their recovery, according to Dual Diagnosis.org. Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps patients overcome drug and alcohol addiction by:

Providing self-help tools to help regulate and manage their moods
Teaching effective coping skills
Helping eliminate false beliefs and insecurities that may lead to substance abuse
Identifying triggers (situations that trigger cravings throughout the day) and dealing with them. (recognizing, avoiding, coping)

The length and time-frame for CBT depend on the individual and their needs and comfort level. Some people need daily therapy, while others may need weekly. In a residential treatment center, CBT is often started once detox is complete. There are several techniques associated with CBT in addiction treatment:

Thought records
Behavioral experiments
Motivational
Interviewing (MI)
Relapse Prevention
Contingency management strategies

There are also different approaches to CBT, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Functional Analytic Psychotherapy. Whatever CBT is chosen, it’s been proven to have an excellent track record with many studies demonstrating its effectiveness for treating addiction, along with co-occurring disorders.

What to Expect from CBT?

Cognitive-behavioral therapists assist recovering addicts with identifying negative, habitual thoughts. When a thought is automatic, it’s based on impulse and usually comes from misconceptions and internalized feelings of self-doubt and fear. To deal with these thoughts, people will often turn to self-medicating by drinking or doing drugs. The goal of CBT is to talk through these feelings and emotions that are typically tied to uncomfortable or traumatic events and process them safely and effectively. When recovering addicts learn new ways of dealing with life’s stresses or trauma, they can replace their addiction with new, positive behaviors. During the first session, the therapist will walk you through the therapeutic process, address concerns, answer questions, and evaluate the issues you need to work on. The therapist will then work with you on goals and how you can best achieve them, which could include having homework. This is a time when the individual also must open up to the therapist about their struggles, fears, and behaviors. You may have a difficult time opening up, but it needs to be done for treatment must commence. During therapy, you will be taught various life skills and recovery techniques to help you stay clean. These include:

Relaxation techniques
Stress management skills
Assertiveness
Coping skills
Resilience

Although there are no harmful side effects of CBT, you may feel some anxiety or discomfort when addressing issues or emotions. As therapy continues, those feelings should subside and leave you feeling more grounded and confident to live a drug-free life.

Types of Drug Addiction CBT Treats

Research shows that CBT is especially effective when used for recovering addicts that have abused alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine. (National Institute on Drug Abuse) Researchers discovered that the best treatment outcomes were associated with marijuana. Cocaine and opioids followed. For those with polydrug (more than one) addiction, CBT had the smallest effect.

Benefits of CBT

Every person living with the burden of addiction has unique circumstances that brought them to a recovery center. Identifying and treating issues that caused them to abuse drugs or alcohol helps decrease triggers and self-destructive behavior. The benefits of CBT, therefore include:

Personal healing from trauma
Building coping skills to reduce stress impact
Helping individuals resolve problems in their relationships
Reducing or eliminating certain symptoms of mental illnesses
Preventing relapse of these symptoms
Teaching a person to handle their emotions in a healthy way
Strengthening a person’s communication skills
Working as a treatment when medications cannot or do not want to be used

Coupled with other therapies, CBT is an effective treatment for drug and alcohol addiction when done in a safe and supportive environment.

Joy Downen

10 weeks ago

This place is so wonderful and all of the staff care so very much! They are very professional and they know what they are doing. Absolutely amazing facility and staff!!!

Nathan Frame

28 weeks ago

Steps Recovery is the place you go if you want a caring and understanding program. They have helped me gain knowledge about myself and what I want/need to do. The staff there can relate and help you through core issues and they push you to do better because being in this program you know you can do big and amazing things. Also the therapists there are awesome and walk with you through struggles of life and give you the tools you truly need. Overall this place is an amazing opportunity and you’d be missing out on a lot if you chose to not at least try this program.

Shaylesa Stulce

46 weeks ago

Steps Recovery in St. George has been amazing! I’m so excited to use the tools that I’ve learned here! The staff is amazing, and very understanding! I would recommend them to anyone struggling with addiction!

Adam Kelly

47 weeks ago

What I liked most about my time at Steps is the atmosphere that was presented during my whole stay. I have done a lot of treatment centers and this one is by far the one I have felt I gained the most from. I would highly recommend Steps to anybody struggling with addiction!

Gary Hanson

47 weeks ago

Steps saved our daughter’s life as well as her kids!

Natalie Painter

Jan 1, 2019

The staff and facility is amazing- Couldn’t ask for anything better. The program is well rounded with rec activities, equine therapy, gender therapy, group therapy, individual and couples therapy, and also attends various 12 Step support groups such as AA or NA. They also have family therapy and processing with options for individual settings or in a group. These help families understand what their loved ones who suffer from addiction is going through and how to support them, and also gives them their own support system.

BRIAN MEYER

Nov 13, 2018

This place saved my life! The therapists were very helpful, friendly and really cared about the clients wellbeing. The tech’s were alway helpful with meds and anything that was needed. House manager was amazing, had high expectations on job duties, and kept a very clean organized atmosphere. Food was always amazing. I never went hungry! The information and skills that I have learned and applied to my life are priceless. If you’re not willing to put forth the work to change your life this is not your place, but if you are this is the first Step to take. I Love everyone at Steps. Thank you for all your help

Matthew Cromar

Aug 10, 2018

I’d been to other recovery centers before but this one was the best, it stuck because I was willing to do the work, and with the help I received from staff I am now celebrating a year of sobriety in a couple of days. Update; I’m now 18 months sober as of yesterday and I still keep in touch with my steps family. The lessons I learned at steps will stick with me for the rest of my life. Thank you for giving me my life back.

The Steps Recovery Centers Guarantee

Steps Recovery Centers guarantee that any person who completes any of our programs are welcome to come to our weekly aftercare group for additional support at no charge for life.

24 hour hotline

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Utah Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Take That First Step

What is Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy?

What to Expect from CBT?

Types of Drug Addiction CBT Treats

Benefits of CBT

Joy Downen

10 weeks ago

Nathan Frame

28 weeks ago

Shaylesa Stulce

46 weeks ago

Adam Kelly

47 weeks ago

Gary Hanson

47 weeks ago

Natalie Painter

Jan 1, 2019

BRIAN MEYER

Nov 13, 2018

Matthew Cromar

Aug 10, 2018

The Steps Recovery Centers Guarantee

Services

Facilities

Information

Certifications