When you’re ready to establish sobriety and develop a life away from addiction, there are many approaches to substance abuse counseling that can help. Group counseling is a popular choice, wherein individuals struggling with drug or alcohol abuse discuss their challenges, victories, and concerns in a safe, secure space. If you’re considering your options for recovery, here are a few reasons why group therapy may be the way to go.

How Group Substance Abuse Counseling Can Help

1. Build a Support Network

Struggling with substance abuse can be a lonely experience. Even if you have counselors and family to support you, it’s common to feel like they don’t know what you’re going through. With group therapy, however, you are surrounded by individuals who face similar challenges.

Led by a drug and alcohol counselor, you and your group mates will explore the complications of addiction and the many strategies used to maintain recovery. When facing a rough patch, you’ll have the support of several understanding people who hold you accountable for any decisions.

2. Gain a New Perspective

With one-on-one therapy, most of the discussion will focus on your personal experiences. While this approach has many benefits, it can sometimes make it hard to understand how addiction impacts others. In contrast, group counseling offers the opportunity for you to listen to other’s experiences, as well as share your own. As you hear the trials and tribulations of these group members, you’ll uncover new lessons about addiction recovery that cannot be gained through individual therapy.

3. Help Others As You Help Yourself

For many, substance abuse can feel like a failure in life—which impairs their confidence for years. While learning from previous actions is a major part of recovery, focusing on failures can throw your progress off track. With group counseling, however, you have the opportunity to grow from past mistakes and also help others by sharing your experiences and support. Through this effort, you discover that you’re strong enough to maintain sobriety and give others the support they need to achieve their goals.  

Whether you prefer individual or group therapy for substance abuse, White Spruce Counseling has the recovery resources to help. Serving the Rochester, NY, community, this drug and alcohol counselor is qualified to address addiction and help clients develop the skills to overcome it. This compassionate therapist can also provide services to assist with problems that may occur alongside addiction—such as anger management, PTSD, and domestic abuse issues. To learn more about substance abuse counseling and the team, visit this specialist online or call (585) 424-2436.