Group therapy is a form of psychotherapy that involves two or more individuals who work with one or a group of therapists. These methods have great positive effect when they are used to treat the patients with the substance abuse problems. They may be very effective than individual treatment or one on one therapy to overcome drug addiction.
Following are the different types of group therapies used for treating drug addicts:
Peer Group Therapy:
The most common type of peer group therapy used for treating the drug addicts is the expressive therapy. In this type of therapy the patients are allowed to express their thoughts and feelings, which may be conscious and unconscious and which can’t be orally communicated. By the feelings and the thoughts of the addicts the therapists can know the condition of the patients and this helps the therapists in giving further treatment.
Family Group Therapy:
Family plays an important role in treating a drug addict. Hence, the family is the perfect setting for group therapy. Family therapy has two main goals out of which one goal is, the strengths of the family are integrated to design ways to stop drug abuse. Other goal is to reorganize and counteract the impact of the patient’s dependency on drugs and this also helps to manage the effects of drug addiction on the family.
Culturally Specific Group Therapy:
Bringing the patients who share similar cultures at one place can be very effective way of group therapy. By knowing their shared beliefs, cultural rituals and healing practices helps the counselors in treating the drug addicts.