Family Therapy for Addiction – Best Programs for Recovery

Family therapy for addiction is one of the most effective treatments. This is because Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) do not happen in a vacuum; the dysfunction in a household can contribute to the behavior. This is why it is beneficial for a person’s support system to be involved in the treatment as well.

What Are the Benefits of Family Therapy for Addictions?

Substance Use Disorder treatment that includes siblings, parents, and children of the person with the disorder can have a greater long-term effect than solo treatment. This approach can:

• Provide the person with SUD with more support
• Give relatives information about signs and triggers for a relapse
• Resolve generational trauma that contributed to substance abuse
• Improve communication between relatives
• Help the parents, siblings, and children set and maintain boundaries
• Prevent the person with SUD’s social circle from falling into enabling roles
• Allow everyone to move past the hurt, secrecy, and lies that came about due to substance use

Project Courage is a Connecticut-based treatment facility and resource that specializes in community-based treatment. This article is our complete guide on household therapy. Contact Project Courage if you have any questions about insurance, programs, or the intake process.

Which Treatment Programs are Effective for SUD Recovery?

Recovery programs need to be tailored to the individual in order to be the most effective. There are a few different family therapy programs that are proven to bring about long-term sobriety:

Behavioral Family Therapy

Behavioral treatment is common for treating a wide range of health concerns, from depression and phobias to PTSD and SUD. This approach is based on the idea that behaviors and thoughts are connected. All behaviors are learned, so the key to better health is to unlearn and stop the behavior.

When it comes to SUD treatment, this type of therapy focuses on addressing the feelings and needs of the participants. Most sessions are done with the entire group. However, depending on the therapists’ discretion, there may be the need for individual sessions.

While every situation is different, the treatment process of BFT often includes the following elements:

• Identify stressors, dysfunction, trauma, and disagreements within the group
• Discuss how substance abuse affects everyone
• Clarify the thoughts, needs, and goals of the participants
• Provide the siblings, parents, and children with an opportunity to identify their own roles in the SUD cycle
• Improve communication
• Educate the participants on the signs of relapse
• The person with the SUD will also identify their triggers and make a plan to prevent relapse
• Make a plan to help everyone get their needs met
• Discuss and work through their shared history
• Improve problem-solving skills

Multidimensional Family Therapy for Addiction

Substance abuse is multifaceted, so the treatment should be as well. MDFT is most commonly used for teens who struggle with substance use. Meta-analyses of types of therapy indicate that MDFT has promising outcomes in reducing long-term teen drug use.

At its core, MDFT focuses on the 4 core areas of a person’s life and brings about changes to those areas. For example:

Core Area 1: The Person with the SUD

This domain is all about building tools to prevent relapse. Often in individual sessions, the person discusses their history with substances, identifies their triggers, and analyzes the role of the substances in their life. From there, the therapist works with them to develop emotional regulation and social competence.

For teens, this can mean developing self-confidence and learning to resist peer pressure. Adult patients may learn how to navigate social situations without the social lubrication of drugs or alcohol. Patients of all ages learn to identify the emotions that make them want to seek drugs or alcohol. Once these emotions are identified, they can work on channeling those emotions differently.

Core Area 2: The Parents

This area is most applicable when the patient is a child or a teenager. However, some of the strategies can be beneficial in adult patients. For this aspect of treatment, the parents meet with the therapist in order to:

• Reduce conflict amongst themselves
• Improve their emotional regulation
• Identify ways to be more emotionally present with their child
• Practice communication skills
• Brainstorm ways to be a positive influence

Core Area 3: The Siblings and Other Members of the Household

A person’s relationship with their siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, and other relatives can play a role in substance use. Just as the relationship with parents must be improved, the person’s siblings and cousins can also gain skills from being involved in MDFT.

This aspect of the treatment has some of the same goals as core area 2. It includes rebuilding relationships, reducing conflict, bettering communication skills, and deepening emotional attachments.

When an individual struggling with addiction has close familial bonds, they will be better able to resist relapse triggers.

Core Area 4: The Community

There are a few different aspects to this element of the treatment. For teen patients, their peers are a huge influence on how they use substances. Staying sober often means that teens need to make new friends. The MDFT therapist may give the teen strategies to change social circles, resist peer pressure, and identify when a friend is not a good influence.

As part of treatment, the teen may also explore different hobbies, find volunteer opportunities, and develop new skills.

Additionally, this process can help provide the family unit with resources for navigating systems. This means that the therapist may provide tools for advocating for the teen. Alternatively, the parents may learn terminology to handle the teen’s court appearances, medical appointments, and school accommodations.

Functional Family Therapy

FFT is an intensive, short-term type of family therapy for addiction. Aspects of it are similar to other treatments. What makes it distinct is the fact that it has 5 distinct stages.

1. Engagement – In initial meetings, the therapist must engage the person with the SUD and their relatives in the process. For the treatment to be effective, everyone must be willing to go through the process.
2. Motivation – At this stage, everyone can start to discover their motivation for change. The person with the SUD must have hope that they can stay sober. The therapist will guide discussions aimed at resolving negativity. It is important that no one engages in blame during FFT.
3. Assessment – As a group, everyone must identify hierarchies, roles, functions, and needs within their household. It is normal for the people around the person with SUD to fall into distinct roles that perpetuate dysfunction. For that dysfunction to be resolved, it’s important to identify it.
4. Behavior Change – This is when the group can start working on the things they identified in step 3. The process varies depending on the people involved, but it often looks like resolving conflict, building healthier habits, ending cycles, and improving communication.
5. Generalization – The group then learns to generalize the skills they learned in step 4. They will also work on building support systems, preventing relapse, and maintaining healthy communication.

Brief Strategic Family Therapy

BSFT is another type of short-term, intensive family therapy for addiction. It is based on the idea that the behavior in a family system influences the actions of the people inside it. While often used for teens who struggle with substance use, this type of treatment can also be effective for adults.

Throughout the treatment, the group works with a therapist to identify their patterns and behaviors. Although it is no one’s intention to drive a loved one towards drugs or alcohol, people can unknowingly contribute to substance abuse. It is important to voice those patterns and discuss any problems. The group must also think about their own strengths and weaknesses as a unit.

The next step is restructuring. Everyone must work together to change their patterns and behavior. This can look different depending on the needs and goals of the group. During this stage, the knowledge of strengths and weaknesses can be used to build a treatment plan.

Therapy for Family of Addicts – Frequently Asked Questions

What are the 5 stages of family therapy programs for substance abuse?

The 5 stages are:

1. Engagement – The therapist builds rapport and trust. The group agrees to engage in the process.
2. Assessment – The therapist gets to know the group. They identify patterns, habits, and roles that play into substance use.
3. Healing – The group works on resolving the things they identified in step 2.
4. Restructuring – The therapist helps everyone change their habits and build the skills for long-term healthy relationships.
5. Maintenance – At the end of treatment, the group receives education about relapse. The therapist also helps them make a plan to maintain sobriety.

What are the key areas of focus for family system substance abuse recovery?

SUD therapy focuses on:

• Improving communication
• Resolving conflict among parents, siblings, children, and extended relatives
• Problem-solving
• Understanding group dynamics
• Addressing dysfunctional roles
• Strengthening group bonds
• Building the tools for long-term sobriety

What is the best treatment option for substance abuse recovery?

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to recovery. However, treatments that include the addicted person’s household and support system can be especially effective. The exact type of family therapy for addiction will depend on the needs, goals, and dynamics of the group.

What role do relatives and loved ones play in substance use disorders?

Members of a household can have dysfunctional relationships that can contribute to one of their members abusing substances. As a result, the people around the addicted person may engage in lying, secrecy, enabling, or estrangement to cope with the behaviors.

Factors like the history of drug use among other relatives, modeled alcoholism, and normalizing substance use can contribute to SUD behavior.

What can the different types of family therapies be used for?

Some many different conditions and behaviors can be treated with group therapy. It is very effective for treating substance use disorders. This type of treatment can also be effective against eating disorders, depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and grief.

Treatment Programs Offered at Project Courage

Project Courage offers a variety of services and treatment options for patients and their loved ones. There are 2 different ways that you can receive services: through the intensive outpatient program or through in-home recovery.

Intensive Outpatient Treatment

With outpatient treatment, you or your loved one stays at home and attends sessions at the Project Courage facility. There is also the option for virtual sessions, where you can video chat with a therapist or recovery specialist.

Because this is an intensive program, patients get 3 hours a day of treatment. The standard hours are 3:30 to 6:30 Monday to Friday.

There are a few benefits of this program:

• Outpatient allows you to maintain your daily schedule
• Sessions can be scheduled around work or school
• Intensive treatment provides more support than other treatments
• You get to sleep in your own bed and be with your loved ones during the duration of the program
• Virtual outpatient sessions are more convenient and can be done from anywhere

In-Home Recovery Services

In-home recovery is exactly what it sounds like Project Courage therapists and specialists come to your home for treatment. This approach is ideal for family therapy for addiction. Loved ones are often more comfortable talking to a therapist in a familiar setting rather than a clinic office.

IHRS provides the same level of support as outpatient intensive care, but at a different venue. This type of treatment is more convenient. It also allows patients to approach recovery from a place of familiarity. Instead of going somewhere else to practice sobriety, they learn to transform their space into a place of recovery.

Family Services

Substance abuse does not just affect the patient. Their parents, siblings, children, friends, and relatives are all impacted by their use of drugs and alcohol.

This is why Project Courage offers:

• Therapy for families of addicts
• Support groups
• Educational resources
• Expert guidance on everything from insurance to the signs of a relapse
• Emotional support

Begin the Path to Recovery Today!

Family therapy for addiction is one of the best methods for producing long-lasting sobriety. Since substance use affects the entire household, it is important for everyone to receive treatment, not just the person with the disorder. Project Courage offers a variety of programs that are customized to the needs of your loved ones. Call today to schedule a confidential consultation.