If you’re struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol, detox is only the first step in your long road to recovery. Without addressing the psychological and social factors that contribute to substance abuse, addicts are at a high risk for relapse.

At White Spruce Counseling, the best individual and flexible counseling clinic in Rochester, New York, the staff has extensive experience with substance abuse counseling. The drug and alcohol counselors know how to help you get to the root of your addiction, so you can get your life back on track.

With more than 25 years of experience, the therapists at White Spruce Counseling help people recover from addiction and stay clean. Here are five reasons therapy is essential in treating addiction:

• Therapy Addresses Underlying Issues: Addiction is more than a physical dependence on drugs. Other factors can lead addicts to turn to substances to cope with life. Substance abuse counseling addresses these underlying issues, including stress, cues in the environment, and social networks.

• Therapy Helps Addicts Feel Less Alone: Individual therapy is an integral part of addiction recovery treatment because it allows the therapist to address the specific needs of each client. However, group therapy also plays a pivotal role in substance abuse treatment. During group therapy, addicts are challenged and supported by peers who are going through the same things they are.

• Therapy Helps Heal The Family: The addict’s entire family and inner circle are affected by addiction, and counseling can support the family members of the addicted person. At White Spruce Counseling, the therapists help family members to heal from the damage their loved one’s addiction has caused. When family therapy is integrated into addiction treatment, there are lower relapse rates and increased happiness in the family.

• Therapy Provides Addicts With New Skills: Drug and alcohol counselors can teach a person how to recognize moods, thoughts, and circumstances that induce cravings. When the person recognizes these triggers, they can then learn to replace the negative thoughts and feelings with healthier ones. Cognitive behavioral therapy is an effective technique for maintaining long-term sobriety.

• Therapy Offers People Motivation: Therapists at White Spruce Counseling are skilled at helping people uncover motivation to change. Instead of allowing clients to continue to be in denial, the substance abuse counselors might help a client to realize they are motivated by his family to get sober. This then might become a focus of therapy sessions.

Like any other disease, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, addiction requires lifelong maintenance therapy. To reduce the likelihood of relapse, therapy should be considered a vital part of substance abuse treatment.

For more information about the substance abuse counseling available at White Spruce Counseling, visit the website or call the Rochester, New York, clinic at (585) 424-2436.