Therapies – Individual
Compassionate Individual Therapy for Addiction Recovery in NJ
Personalized, One-on-One Support for Your Recovery Journey
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Individual therapy for addiction, or talk therapy, is a structured process of psychotherapy between the client and a mental health care provider.[1] Individual therapy differs from group therapy in that sessions are focused solely on the person being treated, including their history, goals, and needs.
All therapists that work with clients in individual therapy at Meridian Recovery are licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs), professional counselors (LPCs), psychologists, or other credentialed mental health professionals with experience in providing addiction therapy and treatment support.
How Individual Therapy Makes a Difference
Individual therapy works by creating a safe, consistent relationship between the client and the therapist that provides the safety and clinical structure needed for growth. This quality of the therapeutic relationship is consistently considered to be one of the most important indicators of positive treatment outcomes.[2]
In individual therapy for substance abuse, the first session will typically explore the client’s personal history of substance abuse and their personal background, as well as reviewing any mental health issues that may be making the recovery process more difficult. Following this assessment, the client and the mental health care provider will work collaboratively to identify the underlying causes of the client’s substance use, and the triggers or ways of thinking and feeling that have contributed to this problem.
The treatment modalities for each individual client are based on the clinical assessment and may change based on the development of the therapeutic relationship with the client.
Who Is Individual Therapy Right For?
Individual therapy provides an essential component of addiction treatment for many people. Some of the key reasons people may benefit from individual therapy include:
- Dealing with trauma, grief, and other personal issues
- Experiencing co-occurring mental health disorders
- Previous treatment challenges
- Complex life circumstances
- A need for privacy
- Continuous clinical support
No matter where you are in your journey, having a private space to build trust and process your experiences is a powerful tool for long-term healing.
The Efficacy of Individual Therapy for Substance Use Disorder
Research supports the use of individual therapy as an essential component of addiction treatment. Below are some specific findings:
- Effectiveness: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) indicates that the use of individual therapy is the most widely used form of intervention for substance use disorders and has proven to be effective when provided through evidence-based approaches such as cognitive behavior therapy and motivational interviewing.[3]
- Positive results across substances: There is overwhelming evidence from peer-reviewed studies demonstrating that individual therapy contributes to reductions in substance use, improvements in mental health, and increases in long-term recovery success across all types of substances.[4] Cognitive behavior therapy, in particular, has a large body of evidence to support its continued use in treating alcohol use disorder, opioid use disorder, and stimulant use disorder.[5]
- Increasingly important for dual diagnosis: Individual therapy is especially beneficial for those with co-occurring mental disorders because it will provide a joint intervention in the treatment of both disorders at the same time and results in significantly better outcomes versus treating either disorder independently of the other.[6]
- A fundamental part of relapse prevention: Individual therapy gives clients self-awareness of personal triggers and early warning signs, plus a variety of coping skills to use when they find themselves in high-risk situations. The coping skills they develop during therapy will help them in their post-treatment recovery process.[7]
What to Expect from Individual Therapy
When starting individual therapy, you may not know what to expect and may feel uncertain about how the first few sessions will go. Here is a general overview of what you can expect:
- Early sessions — Your therapist will spend part of your initial sessions collecting information about your history with substances and what your goals are for treatment. The focus of the first several sessions will be on building trust, obtaining an accurate understanding of your clinical needs, and defining personal goals. You will never be pushed to share anything you are not comfortable sharing.
- As therapy develops — You will discover that your individual sessions become more directed and focused as time goes on. You and your therapist will work together to discover and implement new strategies and skills to change your patterns, beliefs, and behavior related to your substance use. There will be sessions that you feel great about and perhaps others where you are dealing with a lot of emotions. Either way, both are an important part of the journey of individual therapy.
- Toward the end of treatment — As you advance in individual therapy, the goal of your treatment will become reinforcing the gains that you have made, preparing you for life after formal treatment, and ensuring you have built a strong foundation of self-awareness and coping skills that will carry over into your everyday life.
Individual Therapy at Meridian Recovery Center
At Meridian Recovery, individual therapy is provided through experienced and licensed therapists who provide clinical skills and a sincere human connection at each session.
Here are a few things that set us apart:
- All clients are matched to the therapist whose clinical approach best matches the individual. The client will remain working with the same therapist throughout the entire program to create consistency and trust between the therapist and client.
- Your individual therapist will communicate regularly with the entire care team so that every aspect of your treatment plan is connected and working towards the same desired goals.
- Therapists will provide clients with private, unhurried, and customized sessions in a safe space that allows clients to complete the necessary recovery work.
- Our therapists are trained to treat co-occurring mental health disorders, such as anxiety, depression, or PTSD, alongside substance use issues. By addressing these interconnected challenges in a private setting, we can uncover and treat the root causes of addiction.
We are proud to be a local resource for our neighbors throughout South Jersey and provide a space where you can do the hard work of healing while staying close to your community.
Contact Us
Start Your Recovery With Support That’s Built Around You
If you or someone you know is looking for help with addiction treatment in New Jersey that includes personalized one-on-one therapeutic support, contact Meridian Recovery today to learn more about our program and begin the road to lasting recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions About Individual Therapy for Addiction
Which type of therapist helps individuals with substance use challenges?
Individuals who struggle with substance use disorder most commonly work with licensed mental health care therapists. Some examples include licensed clinical social workers (LCSW), licensed professional counselors (LPC), or psychologists who specialize in addiction treatment. At Meridian Recovery, every individual client is assigned a dedicated licensed clinician whose training and treatment approach aligns with each client’s individual needs and treatment goals.
Why is individual therapy important in addiction recovery?
Individual therapy creates a private, consistent, and trusting relationship between the client and clinician. Individual therapy is the best way to safely explore the client’s personal history, thought patterns, and emotional experiences, which affect the client’s substance use. Unlike group therapy, individual therapy only includes the client at that time. Research supports that the quality of the client and clinician relationship is one of the best predictors of successful treatment outcome.
What are the benefits of individual therapy for addiction?
There are many benefits to individual therapy during addiction treatment such as: gaining a comprehensive understanding of the root cause of substance use, developing a personalized coping strategy to manage triggers and cravings, showing clients how to address co-occurring mental health disorders, creating a strong foundation for long-term recovery, and providing information to clients to reduce the chances of a relapse following the completion of treatment.
Sources
[1] [3] [7] Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (1999). Brief therapy in substance abuse treatment. In Brief interventions and brief therapies for substance abuse (Treatment Improvement Protocol Series, No. 34). National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64943/
[2] Ames, S., & Casper, J. (2024). Psychotherapy and therapeutic relationship. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK608012/
[4] Carroll, K. M., & Onken, L. S. (2005). Behavioral therapies for drug abuse. American Journal of Psychiatry, 162(8), 1452–1460. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3633201/
[5] McHugh, R. K., Hearon, B. A., & Otto, M. W. (2010). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for substance use disorders. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 33(3), 511–525. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2897895/
[6] Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2020). Substance use disorder treatment for people with co-occurring disorders. (Treatment Improvement Protocol Series, No. 42). National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK571024/
