Topic: therapies and tools

Informed client choice means accurate information about the likely outcome of decisions made early in treatment.

Psychological theories that may be of great interest to professionals can seem like messages from Pluto to a rehab patient.

I realized something: though in her mind we’d played a principal role in her recovery, she’d actually followed none of the directions we’d given her.

We can’t always predict which problem will require attention first — or indeed, when opening a door in therapy will introduce a whole new set of emotional needs and issues.

It’s as if the addict is so accustomed to just acting on impulse that he/she has lost touch with the source of the impulse — ordinarily a negative emotional state such as anxiety, anger, sadness, etc.

Seeking evidence, and applying practices based on evidence to your clinical interventions, can help making decisions that increase the chances of a desired outcome

You’re aware that music therapy is used in mental health settings. Playing music is great, but for most of us, it’s enough just to listen and be affected.

Some of what patients hear is gossip and folklore, something for which the addict community is famous. But there is a wide variation in quality among OTPs.

It’s not so much that the client is unable to grasp the info as he or she is easily discouraged based on a fund of previous negative experiences in school.

Some clients need more frequent reinforcement than others – those with poor impulse control, for instance, or who struggle with cravings, or are less motivated for other reasons.