Tulare County Health and Human Services – Adult Mental Health – Visalia, California

Family counseling is a therapeutic approach that addresses the dynamics, interactions, and challenges within a family unit. Through guided discussions and interventions, a trained counselor helps family members understand one another, resolve conflicts, improve communication, and strengthen their bonds. This form of therapy can be beneficial for families facing transitions, stressors, or behavioral issues, promoting understanding and facilitating positive change in the familial environment.

In individual therapy, a person engages in a one-on-one session with a qualified therapist or counselor. This therapeutic approach is crucial in successful substance abuse treatment because it delves into the underlying causes of addiction, addressing issues the individual may encounter in their familial, social, and professional or academic environments.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a evidence-based psychotherapeutic approach that aims to address dysfunctional emotions, behaviors, and cognitions through a goal-oriented, systematic process. It involves identifying and challenging negative thought patterns and beliefs and replacing them with more constructive ways of thinking and behaving. CBT is commonly used to treat a variety of mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, and phobias.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for addiction treatment is a comprehensive cognitive-behavioral approach initially developed to treat individuals with borderline personality disorder. Adapted for addiction, DBT emphasizes the development of four core skills: mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. Through individual and group sessions, patients learn to understand their triggers, manage negative emotions, cope with cravings, and improve relationships, all of which contribute to long-term recovery and reduced substance use.

Group Counseling is a therapeutic approach where individuals come together under the guidance of a trained counselor to share experiences, offer support, and gain insights. This collective format promotes mutual understanding and growth, allowing participants to learn from one another’s perspectives and challenges.

Experiential Therapy is a therapeutic approach that encourages individuals to identify and address hidden or subconscious issues through activities, actions, and direct experiences. Unlike traditional talk therapy, this method involves engaging in activities, role-playing, and other interactive techniques to garner emotional expression and self-discovery. By placing individuals in relevant situations, therapists can observe their behaviors and emotions in real-time, allowing for immediate feedback and insight. Through this interactive process, individuals can better understand their feelings and behaviors, develop coping mechanisms, and work towards resolving personal conflicts.

Whether a marriage or other committed relationship, an intimate partnership is one of the most important aspects of a person’s life. Drug and alcohol addiction affects both members of a couple in deep and meaningful ways, as does rehab and recovery. Couples therapy and other couples-focused treatment programs are significant parts of exploring triggers of addiction, as well as learning how to build healthy patterns to support ongoing sobriety.

Trauma therapy addresses the deep-seated emotional and psychological wounds often linked with substance abuse disorders. Recognizing that traumatic experiences can be a root cause or a significant contributing factor to substance addiction, this therapeutic approach seeks to help individuals understand, process, and heal from their traumas. Doing so fosters emotional healing and bolsters the individual’s chances of long-term recovery from addiction. Integrating trauma-informed care into addiction treatment ensures a comprehensive approach that addresses substance abuse’s symptoms and underlying causes.