| Clinical Alternative to the 12 Step Model, an | | | | individual therapy with the client's primary therapist. |
| Integrative Clinical Approach | | | | Use of the stages of change model to match the |
| The integrative approach blends together a variety | | | | client with all the appropriate therapies, that fit |
| of "best practices" in substance abuse treatment | | | | current needs |
| today. Without addressing all the multiple holes and | | | | Application of motivational techniques to address |
| traps that await the substance abuser, they cannot | | | | clients ambivalence and mixed feelings. Helpings clients |
| stay on the safe road to recovery and therapy. | | | | truly see the advantages of sobriety. |
| The integrative approach has evolved over the last | | | | Helping clients identify and describe the various |
| 10 years of working with substance abusing clients. | | | | stages of recovery; early recovery is the first six |
| Substance abusers are not all alike, and different | | | | months. This helps clients become more realistic in |
| patients have very different medical and emotional | | | | their personal goals. |
| needs. | | | | Help clients address, identify, and describe the |
| The cornerstone of this approach is clients must be | | | | personal meaning of their addiction. For example, are |
| treated as individual, not as stigmatized and "labeled" | | | | the self-medicating, filling up an inner emptiness, |
| members of a diagnostic classification. We | | | | numbing out feelings related to a trauma, or all of the |
| acknowledge what extensive research has now | | | | above. Unless clients understand what they are |
| confirmed; basically, that no one approach to | | | | actually doing on a deep level, they will become a |
| treatment is superior to all others and that effective | | | | chronic relapser. |
| treatment must be customized to meet individual | | | | The 5 core areas of psychological functioning |
| goals and needs. The essence of the integrative | | | | Balancing, identifying, and regulating all emotions, |
| approach is that it neither requires nor recommends | | | | avoiding the traps of impulsivity and dumping anger |
| compliance to one theoretical model or method of | | | | on others. |
| treatment. | | | | Understanding and maintaining a secure sense of self. |
| The ideal program blends together many seemingly | | | | For example, the stable self is sometimes a container |
| disparate and competing therapy approaches, | | | | with boundaries and limits and sensitive areas. Adults |
| including cognitive behavioral therapy, | | | | can become aware of how they are either affirmed |
| abstinence-based counseling, supportive therapy, | | | | or invalidated by others. Identifying and not avoiding |
| narrative, motivational effectiveness, couples and | | | | realistic conflict with others. Learning conflict |
| family therapy, patient education, and | | | | resolution skills. |
| pharmacotherapy. All are brought together to meet | | | | Maintaining adequate self care. All medical and |
| and gratify the client's needs at their particular stage | | | | nutritional needs are addressed. Dual diagnosis and |
| of recovery. | | | | co-occurring disorders. How about alcohol use and |
| Core Beliefs in the Integrative Clinical Approach | | | | depression feed into each other? How does |
| The supreme importance of the fragile alliance, the | | | | amphetamine use and anorexia feed into each other? |