How Individual Therapy Improves Self-Awareness

A man and woman sitting on the couch talking to each other.


 

“Self-awareness is the ability to take an honest look at your life without any attachment to it being right or wrong, good or bad.†– Debbie Ford

Recovery requires some degree of self-awareness. You cannot learn new behaviors and ways of thinking if you cannot recognize maladaptive patterns in your life. Self-awareness encourages personal insight, reflection on the past, and mindfulness. Accepting all aspects of yourself and finding areas to improve can increase your overall well-being. The care team at Newport Beach Recovery Center can help you build self-awareness using evidence-based techniques and alternative holistic therapies.

What Happens During Individual Therapy?

Newport Beach Recovery Center personalizes all individual therapy sessions to ensure you have the tools to process traumas, cope with daily stressors, and improve your mental health. Specifically, they will help you find coping mechanisms that fit your personality and background. You can expect to do the following during sessions:

  • Discuss your thoughts, ideas, feelings, and behaviors about treatment
  • Develop essential skills
  • Breathing, meditation, and mindfulness exercises
  • Be assigned homework like journaling
  • Process trauma and underlying issues related to substance misuse

Every session will focus on one or more areas related to your mental health and sobriety. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), “A variety of different types of psychotherapies and interventions have been shown to be effective for specific disorders.†In order to fit your unique needs, the dedicated team at Newport Beach Recovery Center will assess you to determine what forms of psychotherapy will benefit you most during rehabilitation. The personalized care we offer will also provide you with multiple complementary options.

How Self-Awareness Encourages Healing

Self-awareness involves objectively looking at your thoughts and actions and determining if emotional responses fit the circumstances. For example, if you have a negative encounter with a coworker, then you might react by feeling anxious, depressed, or angry. Increased self-awareness would allow you to identify the area of conflict and problem-solve to find a positive solution.

Ultimately, self-awareness encourages healing by showing you how certain behaviors and thoughts influence your circumstances. You become more attuned to your emotional state, and you may find yourself feeling less out of control. Positive life changes require a degree of self-awareness and commitment to creating a better future for yourself.

Therapeutic Methods at Newport Beach Recovery Center

Clients at Newport Beach Recovery Center have access to multiple forms of therapy. We specifically personalize every treatment plan to ensure the best possible outcome. You will have the support of our whole team behind you, driving your recovery during treatment. Our facility offers the following therapeutic methods:

  • Activity therapy
  • Art and music therapy
  • Relapse prevention
  • Motivational interviewing (MI)
  • Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)
  • Behavior modification
  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
  • Creative healing
  • Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
  • Biofeedback
  • Contingency management
  • Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
  • Gestalt

We also offer alternative holistic options for individuals who feel more comfortable in less traditional therapy settings. If your desired holistic treatment isn’t readily available, we’ll bring in a contracted professional to lead groups.

Integrated Treatment and Co-Occurring Disorders

We may combine multiple methodologies to create an integrated form of treatment that addresses underlying issues or comorbidities. According to Social Work in Public Health, “Integrated treatment refers to the focus of treatment on two or more conditions and to the use of multiple treatments such as the combination of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy.†Newport Beach Recovery Center primarily treats substance use disorder (SUD). However, we understand that leaving other mental health issues unaddressed makes it difficult to continue healing from SUD.

Therefore, clients have a personalized treatment plan tailored to their specific needs and preferences to ensure that any co-occurring disorders get treated alongside the SUD. Additional therapy and treatments can eventually help you feel more focused as you work to build skills like self-awareness.

The Importance of Individual Therapy During Continuing Care

Individual therapy is a critical part of aftercare. The transition out of treatment can leave many clients feeling uncertain or overwhelmed at first. Additionally, you may have residual doubts about your ability to maintain sobriety in the real world. Attending therapy during aftercare provides the following:

  • Stabilization and additional emotional support
  • A safe space to talk about the challenges you face in continuing care
  • All the tools you need to cope with triggers, cravings, and intrusive thoughts
  • Continued development of self-awareness, self-confidence, and self-efficacy

Aftercare therapy will provide you with an objective outside perspective, emotional support, and the essential skills you need to cope with stressors in the real world. Returning home and encountering social groups or locations linked with past substance misuse might trigger intrusive thoughts and cravings. All things considered, self-awareness will help you learn to identify triggers and potential problem areas that you can then address in therapy. You can work with your therapist to find ways to cope with and overcome challenges you encounter in aftercare.

Personalized individual therapy can help you increase self-awareness and give you a new way of looking at the world. The ability to identify unhealthy behaviors and predict how they might affect your life can help you overcome problems in long-term recovery. Self-awareness increases self-efficacy and improves self-esteem in individuals recovering from substance use disorder. Individual therapy makes it easier to challenge irrational beliefs or maladaptive thought patterns. It encourages you to see yourself in a new light. At Newport Beach Recovery Center, we provide clients with a wide range of therapeutic options to ensure everyone has access to a therapy modality that fits their circumstances, needs, and preferences. To learn more about Newport Beach Recovery Center and the treatment programs we offer, call our office today at (855) 316-8740. We can provide the tools you need to heal and recover from SUD.