Our Clinical Approach
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Our treatment centers draw on a blend of evidence-based traditional therapies and experiential and alternative approaches to provide clients comprehensive care that address the physical, mental, and spiritual wounds of substance abuse. Specific therapies and approaches vary by treatment program, level of care, and location, but may include some of the following:
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Frequently used in addiction treatment, ACT draws on many mindfulness principles, encouraging clients to accept difficult thoughts and experiences without judgement rather than try and push them away. In doing so, the goal is to give these negative feelings less power as clients begin to view them as a normal part of life. Clients are encouraged to stay present in what’s happening in the moment, giving these experiences less weight. Therapists help to evoke clients' own ideas about change and goals for the future.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a holistic approach to physical and mental healing recognized by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and World Health Organization (WHO). An ancient Chinese medicine used for thousands of years, it works on the 12 meridians or pathways in the body where “qi” (life energy) flows. During acupuncture, very fine, sterilized needles are inserted into different places on the body to stimulate parts of the nervous system. Acupuncture can help clients with some of the discomfort from alcohol or drug withdrawal and early sobriety like anxiety, insomnia, muscle pain, and depression.
Art Therapy
Art Therapy
We draw upon a number of creative approaches so clients can explore issues and emotions in alternative ways. Clients may use art therapy to make projects like collages, emotion wheels, creations with clay and paint, and others. These creative approaches encourage clients to express themselves in a different way than they would in talk therapy and opens them to new insights through the creative process.
BioSound Healing Bed
BioSound Healing Bed
This system combines biofeedback, therapeutic music, sound healing massage, and guided imagery to help manage post-acute withdrawal symptoms and promote overall health and wellness.
Chiropractic Services
Chiropractic Services
Clients recovering from prescription painkiller addictions often struggle with discomfort as they eliminate opioids and other narcotics. We help them learn to manage pain with non-addictive alternative methods like chiropractic services. Other clients find that substance abuse from alcohol or other drugs was masking physical pain. They can also benefit from chiropractic services to help relieve discomfort as well as to experience physical touch in a healing way. Chiropractic services are part of our overall holistic approach to pain management and physical wellness.
Case Management
Case Management
We offer comprehensive case management services so that clients receive personalized care and have critical support in place when they leave addiction treatment. Depending on the location, this may also include connecting clients with outside services like dentists, physicians, nutritionists, and cardiologists who can address needs that may haven’t gotten the attention they needed during active addiction.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
An approach proven to help people struggling with addiction and mental health issues, CBT helps clients understand how thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors feed off of each other and can fuel destructive coping behaviors. Our specially trained therapists help clients learn to identify unhealthy thoughts and beliefs, challenge their validity, and replace them with more accurate and positive ones.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is under the cognitive-behavioral therapy umbrella, designed to help clients struggling with PTSD and other related conditions. It is an impactful treatment for trauma and PTSD. The approach helps change the way clients think about traumatic events and teaches the skills to change how past trauma impacts the present. Cognitive processing therapy for PTSD can be used in one-on-one therapy or group counseling.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical behavior therapy draws from cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness to help regulate distressing emotions and thoughts. This therapeutic approach emphasizes ways to practice mindfulness, manage intense feelings, and improve interpersonal skills. It’s been shown to be particularly helpful for people struggling with personality disorders or suicidal thoughts.
Experiential Therapies
Experiential Therapies
Experiential therapies help clients heal in alternative ways. They’re a useful complement to traditional talk therapy. Instead of processing emotions through talking with a therapist or group, clients express emotions through activities and guided practices. Depending on the program and location, experiential approaches may include activities like adventure therapy, psychodrama, recreation therapy, art therapy, music therapy, and movement therapy.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), is an information-processing technique used to diminish the distress caused by exposure to traumatic events. EMDR focuses on retrieving, processing, and resolving any past experiences that contribute in a negative way to a client’s current experience, including intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, anxiety, panic attacks, overwhelming emotions and physiological symptoms of fear. EMDR therapy has been accepted by multiple therapeutic organizations including the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, and the Veteran’s Administration as an effective and highly recommended treatment for individuals struggling with trauma.
Family Support
Family Support
Addiction is a family disease, and everyone must heal in their own way. We help loved ones recover alongside our clients. Depending on the location, family support may include family therapy sessions (with client’s consent), family education groups and resources, or family support groups.
Fitness
Fitness
Exercise and movement are an important part of a healthy lifestyle in recovery. Fitness is an area that is often neglected during active addiction. We offer clients several opportunities for physical activity. Depending on the program, this may include hikes, fitness classes, access to fitness equipment, walks, yoga, and volleyball or other sports.
Group Therapy
Group Therapy
An important part of addiction treatment, group therapy provides support and accountability in recovery. Sharing and hearing from others who are going through similar struggles can ease the isolation and shame that sometimes accompanies addiction. Group therapy takes many different forms and covers topics related to substance abuse and the underlying issues that fuel it. Participants learn about healthy coping practices, vulnerability, and communication skills.
Individual Therapy
Individual Therapy
One-on-one therapy with a licensed counselor provides a safe space to discuss the underlying issues that fuel trauma. Our therapists are trained in a number of approaches proven to be effective in treating substance abuse and co-occurring mental health disorders such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), motivational interviewing (MI), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Individual therapy is an opportunity for clients to work intently on trauma, relationships issues, self-confidence, and other potential roadblocks to long-term recovery. It’s also a place to discuss issues that arise in group therapy or topics clients don’t yet feel comfortable bringing to a group setting.
LGBTQIA Groups
LGBTQIA Groups
We offer a track for LGBTQIA individuals where they can feel safe sharing about the difficulties they’ve experienced because of their gender identity and sexual orientation. Topics often include issues around shame, rejection, attachment, and other traumas.
Life Skills Training
Life Skills Training
Adjusting to everyday life in sobriety can be difficult. Many people have forgotten, or were never taught, the skills they need to take care of themselves and have a healthy lifestyle. We prepare clients for life after treatment by helping them re-learn everyday skills as well as set goals and make concrete plans for the future. Clients learn how to build structure and maintain a sober support system in recovery as well as steps to getting a job, returning to school, or volunteering.
Massage Therapy
Massage Therapy
Massage therapy can have several benefits in addiction recovery. During drug or alcohol withdrawal, the body may experience muscle aches, stiffness, and discomfort. Massage can help manage these symptoms. Massage therapy can also help with agitation, insomnia, and tension. For many clients, massage can help them begin to associate physical touch with gentleness and positivity. It can also release pent-up emotions held in the body.
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)
Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)
Addictions like opioid abuse and alcohol abuse may require a combination of research-backed medications and behavioral therapy for long-term sobriety. Medications like suboxone, acamprosate, disulfiram, and naltrexone can help prevent strong cravings and withdrawal symptoms. This allows clients to focus on gaining relapse prevention skills and building a better life in recovery rather than be distracted by cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
Medication Management
Medication Management
Many people with substance use issues have co-occurring mental health disorders. In some cases, medications are needed to help manage these psychiatric symptoms. This can lessen the urge to use drugs and alcohol to cope with mental health symptoms. We assess each client’s mental health and prescribe, change, or tweak psychiatric medication as appropriate. We also educate clients on how to properly use their medications and any potential side effects.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness
Mindfulness helps clients learn to stay in the present moment and cope with stress and triggers. It can also help them manage difficult feelings that arise without resorting to drug or alcohol abuse. Depending on the treatment center, mindfulness approaches might include relaxation, meditation, deep breathing techniques, or group mindfulness instruction. Many clients continue these practices when they leave treatment as a relapse prevention tool.
Motivational Interviewing
Motivational Interviewing
Motivational interviewing is an approach often used in addiction treatment that encourages clients to get in touch with their motivation to change. Therapists become a collaborator in sessions, not directing, but guiding clients to find their own answers. The client is the “expert” on their life, and the therapist is a guide to help them build confidence in their ability to heal and make decisions about their future. The counselor serves as a compassionate and active listener who helps affirm, reflect, and summarize what is discussed, drawing attention to the client’s strengths and autonomy.
Music Therapy
Music Therapy
Music therapy can be a complement to more traditional addiction treatments. There are a number of ways music is helpful in processing emotions and building coping skills. Approaches may include listening to music, lyric work, mood variation recognition with songs, decreasing emotional tension, mood and energy shifting, playing music, writing music, and making recovery playlists.
Nutrition Support
Nutrition Support
People with drug or alcohol addictions are often in poor physical health. Substances have been their top priority. They’ve not been concerned with eating well. Addiction can also deplete the body of nutrients and can have several potential negative physical effects. We help clients heal the physical wounds of addiction by serving well-balanced meals and teaching them about the importance of proper nutrition and how to eat healthy. Depending on the location and program, clients may meet with a nutritionist or attend weekly groups on nutrition.
Parenting Groups
Parenting Groups
Our Footprints to Recovery New Jersey location offers a unique parenting group that addresses issues specific to parents in recovery. Some of the topics include healthy attachment with children, recovering from growing up with alcoholic or drug addicted parents, talking to children about the recovering parent’s substance use, trauma and addiction, and parenting skills.
Psychodrama
Psychodrama
Led by a specially trained therapist, psychodrama helps clients explore past and future experiences through role playing with a counselor or other clients who represent people, events, situations, or feelings in their lives. This experiential therapy provides clients an alternative way to process past experiences within a safe, accepting space and practice healthier ways to interact in future situations.
RecoveryFit
RecoveryFit
Recovery Fit gives clients the opportunity to work with a personal trainer that provides a more individualized approach to exercise and how it can support sobriety. The program emphasizes a physical experience of 12 spiritual principles and ties them to firsthand experiences of how movement, activity, and connection improves recovery.
Relapse Prevention Skills
Relapse Prevention Skills
This system combines biofeedback, therapeutic music, sound healing massage, and guided imagery to help manage post-acute withdrawal symptoms and promote overall health and wellness.
Clients learn healthy ways to cope with triggers they’ll encounter in everyday life. Relapse prevention includes topics around self-care as well as having a specific plan when confronted with triggers. Clients learn about healthy coping skills, which may include yoga, mindfulness, good sleep hygiene, fitness, nutrition counseling, support groups, and recovery activities.
Seeking Safety
Seeking Safety
Seeking Safety is an evidence-based, gentle approach to substance abuse and trauma recovery that doesn’t require detailing past events and potential retraumatization. Seeking Safety focuses on clients’ strengths and covers topics like grounding exercises, setting boundaries, healthy relationships, self-care, and coping with triggers.
SMART Recovery
SMART Recovery
We offer 12 Steps and alternatives to the 12 Steps like SMART Recovery. SMART Recovery is a secular support group that centers around: motivation to change, refusing to act on urges and triggers, managing life’s problems without substances, and developing a positive, balanced, and healthy lifestyle.
Social Skills / Team Building
Social Skills / Team Building
People must relearn how to be social without drugs or alcohol. Whether it’s a designated social skills group, outings, or onsite games and recreational activities, we give clients plenty of opportunities to practice being social and having fun while sober.
Sound Therapy
Sound Therapy
Sound Therapy refers to a range of therapies in which sound is used to treat physical and mental health conditions. The soothing sounds help to re-tune clients’ brains to cope with stress better by replenishing brain energy with high-frequency sound. This is offered through Breathworks and Meditation groups.
Spiritual Support
Spiritual Support
Feeling a connection with something bigger than oneself helps many people find meaning, purpose, and support in recovery. We encourage clients to discover what spirituality means to them, whether that’s a higher power, nature, or religion. This may take the form of spirituality groups or work in one-on-one counseling.
Theraplay
Theraplay
This form of therapy uses a number of activities to help build confidence, trust in others, and healthy and meaningful engagement with people. Techniques might include role playing, eye contact exercises, visualization, and activities with sand, clay, and other art supplies.
Trauma-Focused CBT
Trauma-Focused CBT
Trauma-focused CBT (TF-CBT) used the principles of cognitive behavioral therapy to address thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors around trauma. This form of CBT is particularly useful in treating trauma stemming from childhood abuse, neglect, or unhealthy attachment issues. Clients learn to identify thoughts and feelings around trauma and reframe them from a place of strength.
12-Step Groups
12-Step Groups
Peer support is a critical part of recovery. Twelve-step groups help clients feel accountable and supported in their recovery journey. They encourage them to get in touch with a higher power and to work with a sponsor who they can help guide them along in the early days of sobriety. We also offer 12-step alternatives or introductions and overviews of alternatives for clients who don’t relate to the concepts in the 12 Steps.
Yoga
Yoga
Yoga’s gentle stretching, poses, and sequences help clients land in their bodies again after being detached from it for quite some time. As a type of “moving mindfulness,” yoga can help clients heal the physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds of addiction.
Yoga4Sobriety
Yoga4Sobriety
A special form of yoga for people recovering from substance abuse, Yoga4Sobriety works on chakras that can become unbalanced during addiction, and links recovery concepts with the mind, body, and spirit. The practice also helps clients work with emotions like shame, guilt, sadness, and anger.
