Introduction
Overcoming substance use isn’t just about stopping a behavior—it’s about building a life that feels worth living without substances. Whether you’re working toward abstinence or a harm-reduction goal, therapy offers a range of tools to help you make meaningful, lasting change.
At City Behavioral Health, our approach to substance use treatment is individualized, evidence-based, and nonjudgmental. We recognize that every person’s relationship with substances is unique, and so is their path to recovery.
Here are seven therapeutic tools commonly used in substance use treatment—and how they can support healing and growth.
1. Motivational Interviewing (MI)
Many people struggling with substance use feel ambivalent about change. They may want to stop using, but also feel uncertain, afraid, or resistant. Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative, non-confrontational approach that helps clients resolve that ambivalence.
How it works:
Through guided conversation, MI supports clients in identifying their own reasons for change and building internal motivation. It’s about empowering, not pressuring.
2. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is one of the most researched and widely used tools in addiction treatment. It focuses on identifying the thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that contribute to substance use—and then reshaping them.
How it helps:
Clients learn how to recognize triggers, challenge distorted thinking (e.g., “I can’t cope without using”), and develop healthier coping strategies to replace substance use.
3. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills
Many individuals with substance use challenges also experience intense emotions, impulsivity, or co-occurring mental health conditions. DBT offers powerful tools for managing these issues.
Core DBT skills include:
- Emotion Regulation: Learn how to identify, understand, and reduce the intensity of emotional responses.
- Distress Tolerance: Build tools for surviving crises without resorting to substances.
- Mindfulness: Increase awareness of urges and develop space between impulse and action.
- Interpersonal Effectiveness: Improve relationships, reduce conflict, and build social support.
4. Relapse Prevention Planning
Relapse doesn’t mean failure—it’s a common part of recovery for many. That’s why proactive relapse prevention is key.
What’s involved:
- Identifying high-risk situations
- Creating strategies for managing cravings
- Building accountability systems
- Understanding early warning signs
- Planning how to respond to setbacks without shame
At City Behavioral Health, we treat relapse as a learning opportunity—not a judgment.
5. Creative Arts Therapy
Sometimes words aren’t enough. For many, creative expression is a powerful path to healing. Art, music, movement, or drama therapy can help clients process trauma, explore identity, and develop emotional awareness in ways that go beyond talk therapy.
Why it works:
Creative Arts Therapy taps into different parts of the brain, bypassing intellectual defenses and allowing for deep emotional work, especially for clients who have difficulty verbalizing their experiences.
6. Behavioral Activation
Depression and substance use often go hand in hand. Behavioral activation helps clients re-engage with life by identifying meaningful activities and scheduling them regularly—even when motivation is low.
Examples:
- Volunteering
- Taking a walk
- Attending a group meeting
- Cooking a healthy meal
- Reconnecting with friends
These small actions can break cycles of avoidance and isolation, creating momentum toward change.
7. Family and Systems Therapy
Substance use doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Family dynamics, relational stress, and environmental triggers often play a major role. Involving family members or significant others in therapy can create a more supportive recovery environment.
Focus areas might include:
- Boundary-setting
- Communication skills
- Understanding enabling patterns
- Repairing trust
- Aligning on treatment goals
Our Approach to Substance Use Treatment
At City Behavioral Health, we offer flexible, customized substance use treatment grounded in both harm reduction and abstinence models. Clients work with their therapist to define recovery goals that align with their values, readiness, and life context.
Services may include:
- Individual therapy
- Skills-based groups (including DBT and Relapse Prevention)
- Parent coaching
- Creative arts therapy
- In-home or community-based sessions
- Therapy intensives
We treat substance use as part of a broader emotional and behavioral landscape—not in isolation.
Take the Next Step
Whether you’re just starting to question your relationship with substances or you’re ready for active recovery work, we’re here to help. Healing begins with a conversation—and support is available now.
Contact City Behavioral Health at info@citybehavioralhealth.com to learn more or schedule a consultation.
