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How We TreatAlcohol and Drug Addiction

We offer the latest, evidence-based therapeutic approaches in addiction treatment, tailored to meet your needs.

Custom plans include individual, group, and family therapy and counseling, trauma support, complementary modes such as yoga and mindfulness, expressive therapies, and healthy lifestyle activities like exercise and outdoor recreation.

1 (800) 782-1520

Learn What Works for YouTherapeutic Approaches

Pinnacle Treatment Centers offer a wide range of therapeutic approaches for patients struggling with alcohol and substance use disorders. Our experienced team of counselors and therapists design and adapt your program to meet your needs throughout the entire recovery journey.  Some types of therapy may depend on your level of care (office-based, outpatient, or residential) and location. When you call and speak to an admissions counselor you can learn more about what is specifically offered at your location of choice.

Individual Therapy

Individual therapy involves one-on-one sessions between you and a trained psychiatrist or therapist. The goal of these sessions is to meet you where you are and help you create an idea of where you want to go. Private, confidential conversations in a safe, supportive environment may include an exploration of past and present relationships, unresolved trauma, and other psychological and emotional factors at play in your life. You work with your therapist to identify how these issues affect you in the here and now, then develop personal treatment goals and develop specific strategies to help you make the changes needed to achieve them.

Types of Individual Therapy:

All these approaches to individual therapy are proven effective in treating people struggling with alcohol and substance use disorders. The type of and amount of individual therapy you receive depends on your level of care and what works best for you.

Group Therapy

Group therapy involves meetings led by a trained professional during which small groups of patients – typically eight to twelve people – discuss issues directly relevant to the recovery journey. Group sessions may include in-depth, interactive conversations about alcohol and substance use, emotional issues, past trauma, and relationship challenges. Peers listen, support, and help one another by sharing experiences and insights on topics preselected by the facilitating therapist.

Our comprehensive range of treatment options means our groups vary by location and individual program. Some groups are clinical in nature, some are educational, while others are less formal and focus on issues and topics common to people in recovery. Trained professionals facilitate all group experiences at Pinnacle Treatment.

During your time with us, you’ll participate in many of the groups below – but you may also participate in groups not included on this list:

Clinical Groups:

  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Skills
  • Trauma Processing
  • Grief and Loss Processing
  • Anger Management
Community Support Groups

  • Alcoholics Anonymous
  • Narcotics Anonymous
  • Refuge Recovery
  • SMART Recovery
Educational Groups:

  • Neurobiology of Addiction
  • Psychology of Addiction
  • Women’s Issues
  • Men’s Issues
  • Relapse Prevention
  • Trigger Identification and Management
  • Codependency
  • Healthy Relationships
  • Healthy Boundaries
  • Spirituality
  • Meditation
  • Coping Strategies
  • Nutrition
  • Vocational Counseling
  • Life Skills

Please note that some of the groups above fall into more than one category, depending on the treatment objectives for the group on the day the group is held. For instance, groups on co-dependency or relapse prevention might be highly structured, clinical experiences, or they might be times when recovery peers share their ideas in a less-formal manner, with more cross-talk and interaction between participants.

Family Therapy

Family support and engagement can be a key component of successful, long-term recovery from addiction and plays an important role in the ongoing management of chronic mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety. We collaborate with you to determine the extent to which you want your family to participate in your recovery. Family involvement is reviewed on a case-by-case basis: for some patients, direct contact with family members during treatment is not beneficial, while for others, it can make all the difference.

Expressive Therapy

Expressive Therapy covers a broad range of artistic and creative activities. Creative arts can be a unique and powerful part of the overall healing experience. They’re a proven-effective component of any high-quality treatment program. Since so much of therapy for alcohol, substance use, and co-occurring disorders revolves around talking, non-verbal options often lead to fresh insights and new perspectives that help patients take more complete ownership of their treatment journey.

Types of Expressive Therapy at Pinnacle Treatment include:

  • Music
  • Visual art
  • Journaling
  • Creative Writing

Creative expression allows you to encounter parts of yourself that may be inaccessible by other paths. Music, visual art, drama and poetry connect you to the infinite wellspring of creativity within. Expressive therapies can help you unlock and process emotions in a new way or reveal a talent that’s been dormant your whole life.

Complementary Therapies

Like Expressive Therapy, these types of support offer our patients avenues of learning and growth that often feel like a break from the difficult work we ask them to do during individual and group therapy. However, these approaches are not fluff or filler – there’s a reason for everything we do in every program at Pinnacle Treatment. The National Institutes of Health differentiate between alternative therapy and complementary therapy: alternative means in place of, whereas complementary means in addition to. All our complementary approaches enrich and support our primary therapies, and never replace essential clinical time.

Types of Complementary Therapies at Pinnacle Treatment Centers may include:

  • Outdoor Therapy
  • Yoga
  • Mindfulness/Meditation

When our patients participate in complementary workshops, classes, or outings, we always debrief the experience as soon as possible. Counselors and/or therapists discuss what happened during a yoga class, or a mindful walk, and help patients connect those experiences directly back to recovery. These connections are valuable and allow patients to find practical lessons in places they never thought possible. Also, some complementary practices become elements of long-term sobriety and aftercare strategies. Many of our alumni incorporate things like yoga and meditation into their daily lives and tell us they’re important aspects of their continuing recovery.


Trauma Support

Trauma is defined as any event that interferes with an individual’s ability to process the emotions related to that event in a productive, healthy manner. Trauma can occur in adulthood, adolescence, or childhood. The following events and circumstances are considered traumatic and can lead to chronic physical, emotional, and mental health consequences:

  • Physical, emotional or sexual abuse
  • Physical or emotional neglect
  • Domestic violence
  • Witnessing violence
  • Death of a loved one
  • Accidents, illnesses and major surgeries
  • Living with someone struggling with a substance use or mental health disorder
  • Experiencing bullying and/or racism
  • Living in an unsafe neighborhood
  • Exposure to war

An individual who experiences any of these events or circumstances – at any time of life – can develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a serious, chronic psychological condition that can lead to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, feelings of detachment, helplessness, or despair. People with PTSD resulting from trauma often turn to alcohol or drugs to alleviate these difficult and uncomfortable emotions. We use a full range of evidence-based therapies to help patients process the PTSD often hidden behind alcohol, substance use, and mental health disorders.

Exercise and Recreation

The positive effects of exercise and recreation on general health and wellness are well-documented. Everyone knows working out and staying active helps your major organs, muscles, bones and nervous system. Almost everyone knows exercise has positive mental health benefits, as well: even a basic routine – when performed regularly – helps manage stress and alleviate the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Over the past decade, researchers have produced evidence to support what people working in addiction have known for years: regular exercise, especially in the early stages of recovery, helps individuals struggling with addiction get on the path to long-term sobriety and helps people struggling with mental health disorders manage their symptoms.

Exercise or Recreation opportunities at Pinnacle Treatment may include:

  • Weight training
  • Aerobics
  • Ropes challenge courses
  • Walking trails
  • Swimming
  • Tennis
  • Basketball
  • Volleyball

The type of exercise or recreation available depends on your Pinnacle location and individual program. Many of our locations have fully equipped on-site gyms, others have the on-site sports courts listed above, and some have both. However, the physical limitations dictated by a few locations mean we organize group excursions to participate in outdoor activities, group exercise classes, or other health-oriented enrichment experiences.

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