Stages of Treatment

As clients move through different stages of recovery, treatment must move with them. That is, therapeutic strategies and leadership roles will change with the condition of the clients.

In the early phase of treatment clients tend to be ambivalent about ending substance use, rigid in their thinking, and limited in their ability to solve problems. Resistance is a challenge for the group leader at this time.

The art of treating addiction in the early phase is in the defeat of denial and resistance. Groups are especially effective at this time since people with dependencies often have had adversarial relationships with people in authority. Thus, information from peers in a group is more easily accepted than that from a lone therapist.

People with addictions remain vulnerable during the middle phase of treatment. Though cognitive capacity usually begins to return to normal, the mind can still play tricks. Clients may remember distinctly the comfort of their past use of substances, yet forget just how bad the rest of their lives were. Consequently, the temptation to relapse remains a concern. Because people with dependencies usually are isolated from healthy social groups, the group helps to acculturate clients into a culture of recovery. The leader draws attention to positive developments, points out how far clients have traveled, and affirms the possibility of increased connection and new sources of satisfaction.

In the late phase of treatment clients are stable enough to face situations that involve conflict or deep emotion. A process‐oriented group may become appropriate for some clients who finally are able to confront painful realities, such as being an abused child or an abusive parent. Other clients may need groups to help them build a healthier marriage, communicate more effectively, or become a better parent. Some may want to develop new job skills to increase employability.

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