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Family Therapy Services for Addiction Treatment

About Family Therapy

Addiction is a disease of the mind, body and spirit that can greatly impact a person’s physical and mental health. An effective treatment program addresses each aspect of a person’s well-being by getting to the root of the problem. Someone who’s suffering from this immensely challenging condition is behaving in a dysfunctional manner through no fault of their own. In an attempt to help their struggling loved one, family members often fall into dysfunctional behavior as well, which is why family therapy for substance abuse problems is essential.

If you or a loved one need help now please call 866-939-6292 or visit our admissions page to learn more about getting started.

No matter how conscientious or kind you were before you developed a substance use disorder, there will be a negative effect on your family. Addiction hijacks the reward and motivation centers in your brain, making your substance of choice your number one priority. Most people find themselves in a cycle of denial and lying to aid them in hiding or pursuing drug use. This can be confusing and harmful to the people who trust and love you.

Are you or your loved one dealing with significant family issues that could alter the outcome of rehab? It’s time to strongly consider enrolling in family therapy during substance treatment. At Calusa Recovery, we feature this form of therapy for people addicted to drugs or alcohol. Our goal is to help you heal your family and take full advantage of their support on your sobriety journey.

Calusa Recovery is a Fort Myers drug and alcohol rehab that offers comprehensive, evidence-based treatment and family therapy. Contact us today to learn how we can help you or a loved one overcome addiction. 

Calusa Recovery Programs

ADDICTION TREATMENT THAT ISN’T COOKIE-CUTTER

One of the first steps when seeking treatment for substance abuse is the detoxification process. Here you are medically supervised and managed through withdrawal process to rid the body of drugs & alcohol.

Residential inpatient treatment is when a client lives on-site 24 hours a day, 7 days a week while receiving intensive inpatient treatment. Learn more about inpatient treatment and how it can help you on your journey.

The partial day program at Calusa Recovery combines the best of aspects inpatient and outpatient treatment to form a hybrid program that allows you to experience inpatient therapies on an outpatient basis.

Find out why the innovative intensive outpatient program at Calusa Recovery is your best choice when seeking an outpatient addiction treatment program in Ft. Myers, Florida. 

Our outpatient program will enable your professional life to become limitless. We offer the tools for you to become the best you can be while being sober! If you’re in Lee County, don’t wait another day to start your recovery.

The family program at Calusa Recovery is an integral part of our programming. Family therapy is an essential part of the recovery process because it allows members of the entire family system to learn how to recover as a unit while supporting their loved-one in recovery.

We Help The Entire Family Unit Recover, Together

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What Happens During Family Therapy for Drug Addiction?

Family therapy sessions are an essential part of the recovery process because they allow members of the entire family system to learn about the condition from a professional. Loved ones are usually under immense pressure when someone they care about is struggling with drug abuse. Therapy lets them learn how to express their feelings in a way that’s constructive for everyone. It also provides them with the knowledge they need to help them navigate challenging decisions along the recovery journey.

When someone suffers from addiction, their ability to make decisions is impaired. They become disproportionately focused on obtaining drugs and getting high. This tends to have a domino effect on their behavior towards others, how well they look after themselves and their financial stability. These changes have an inevitable and distinct impact on their romantic partner, parents and children.

If a member of a family becomes incapacitated, the rest of the unit finds ways to compensate. Often, this leads to the development of unhealthy boundaries and behavior that ultimately makes the situation worse. Professional counseling guides families by teaching them about the mechanisms at work during addiction, establishing healthy boundaries and communicating effectively. Families also learn about the various defense mechanisms of the addictive personality.

Research has shown that family members fall into five unhealthy roles when someone close to them is struggling with addiction. Don’t panic if you feel you can empathize with one or more of these categories or identify them within your clan; they are not set in stone. Family therapists can help everyone to step into a healthier role.

Taking on a healthy role involves providing family support and encouragement while holding your addicted loved one accountable. Offer praise and reward positive progress, and steer them towards seeking professional advice if they’re displaying worrying behavior. The five roles that family members need to unravel themselves from are:

  • The Enabler: The most prominent feature of an enabler is a state of denial. They’ll minimize negative consequences and make excuses for their loved one to protect the family from the harm of the reality of the situation. In fact, not facing up to a challenge is one of the surest ways to make it worse.
  • The Hero: This role involves taking on extra responsibilities that have often been abandoned by the person suffering from addiction. This person puts on a brave face and tries to save everyone but is taking on an excessive amount of stress that will build up and eventually cause them harm.
  • The Scapegoat: A scapegoat gets blamed for everything that goes wrong or creates an additional drama that detracts attention away from the addict. This person is often outspoken and provides a distraction from the real issues at hand.
  • The Mascot: This person provides comic relief, downplaying bad feelings and trying to make sure everyone gets along with each other. Sadly, this type of denial and unwillingness to face negative emotions makes mascots likely to develop substance use disorders themselves.
  • The Lost Child: The lost child feels invisible in the face of the problems and actively tries to fade further into the background. They’re often shy, quiet and withdrawn — choosing to self-isolate rather than seek solace in the company of others.

One of the most valuable aspects of family therapy is that it teaches the whole unit exactly how addiction works. While each person has a different experience, there are aspects of the disease that present themselves in everyone.

Where a loved one may have seen your behavior as intentionally hurtful or cruel, they learn that it is a characteristic of the illness. It also gives them the language necessary to express the different stages of the recovery process, which is incredibly valuable. The bonus of family therapy is that when you speak to the people close to you about your experience in treatment, they have an understanding of what you’re going through so they can offer constructive feedback.

The following aspects of the recovery process will be customized to your individual needs and explained in detail to the people who attend family therapy on your behalf:

  • Coping skills
  • Stress management
  • Social skills
  • Leisure activities in a sober environment
  • Spirituality
  • Planning for the future
  • Daily practice of healthy habits and the importance of routine
  • Step work in smart recovery
  • Recovery is an ongoing process — relapse prevention and ongoing care are essential

Understanding Family Therapy

As humans, we’re social creatures who live our lives in relation to other people. Our initial introduction to the ways of human interaction is typically the family unit. But families are not static, unchanging things. Instead, they’re dynamic systems that change over time. Any given member of your family can affect how the unit functions as a whole from day to day. The impact of your behavior can have a positive effect on other members. It can also have a negative or unhealthy effect. The same holds true for every other family member.

Family therapy is based on this detailed understanding of how families work. Its goal is to help strengthen the family unit and improve its ability to function. This goal is achieved by:

  • Identifying specific issues that are disrupting healthy function
  • Providing a forum for you and your loved ones to talk about these issues
  • Giving you practical ways to resolve family conflicts, disagreements, etc.

Traditional notions of what constitutes a family are centered on blood relationships. However, you can establish family ties on the basis of other kinds of relationships, as well. The modern definition of a family may include people such as:

  • Stepsiblings or stepparents 
  • Foster parents or children
  • Godparents
  • Anyone you designate as a member of your chosen family

All of these family configurations can benefit from participation in family therapy. This therapy is also sometimes known as family counseling. 

Want to know more about the basics of family therapy? Speak to the professional admissions team at our Fort Myers drug addiction treatment center today.

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Most Private Health Insurance Will Help Pay for Treatment.

Calusa Recovery does not accept Medicare or Medicaid as payment for substance abuse treatment.

Let us handle the details so you can focus on the help you need.

The Role of Family Therapy in Drug and Alcohol Treatment

Family therapy has a well-established role in the treatment of addiction and dysfunctional substance abuse. The specifics of this therapy can vary from practitioner to practitioner. However, when helping families affected by substance problems, all therapists follow certain guiding tenets or principles, including:

  • Awareness that therapy helps the family as a whole, not just the person in rehab
  • The importance of a collaborative approach that steers clear of blaming and shaming
  • Inclusion of family health as one of the criteria for effective substance treatment
  • The need to alter therapy methods to fit each particular family unit
  • Acknowledgment of the many challenges of healing a family affected by addiction

Each of these principles shapes the usefulness of family therapy for addiction. Take, for example, awareness of the family-wide impact of addiction. Not only can your family setting increase your chances of drinking or using drugs. Your addictive behavior can negatively influence other family members.

Given the interactive nature of families, collaboration is essential. You must work together with your family rather than treat them as adversaries. The same holds true for other family members in relation to you. 

Family therapy for addiction is never a one-size-for-all proposition. That’s true because families differ from each other in any number of ways, including their:

  • Specific problems
  • History of personal interactions
  • Common values
  • Cultural background and orientation

To provide the best possible support, your therapist must take these and other factors into consideration.

Ask the friendly experts at Calusa for more details on the role of rehab family therapy in South Florida. 

    Chris T.

    I’ve been in recovery for over a year now and have met a lot of people along the way. Stuart and Wilbur are genuine about wanting to help someone struggling with alcohol or drugs. Me being one of them. I’ve seen a few sober houses along the way and Calusa recovery is by far the best sober living I’ve come across. They show you how to have fun in recovery and live life sober. The houses they have are awesome and clean! Highly recommend them. It changed my life!

      Nancy M.

      Calusa Recovery was recommended to us as being a top sober living home. Meeting Stuart, Wilbur, and the impeccable house confirmed this to be true. Stuart and Wilbur are truly invested in all aspects of their clients’ recovery. We value their collaborative approach with clients and family.

        Monta T.

        Calusa is a place that treats you like a real person with love and respect. They do outings together to have a great community environment. Calusa pushes you to be a responsible young man but does it in a way of caring and helping you find self love. Highly recommend for any young man wanting to take the next step to better himself and his future.

          Steven G.

          I feel so fortunate that I found Calusa Recovery. Calusa played a huge part in helping me maintain my sobriety. I enjoyed the people, the staff, and the living arrangements. Thank you so much for helping me get control of my life back. I could not have made these strides without Calusa Recovery.

          What Happens During Addiction Family Therapy in South Florida?

          Family therapy takes place in a series of individual sessions. The specific number of sessions varies from situation to situation. A variety of professionals can conduct family therapy, including:

          • Specialized family therapists
          • Psychologists
          • Psychiatrists
          • Social workers

          All of these professionals must meet current guidelines for licensing and training. Some therapists use methods designed specifically to help families affected by substance problems. Others use methods that were developed for other purposes and adapted to help these kinds of families.

          It takes roughly an hour to complete the average session of family therapy. Your whole family may take part on any given day. However, there may also be fewer participants. Depending on the day, you may do any one of a number of things in your therapy session. That includes:

          • Bringing up topics of concern to you or another family member
          • Working on your family communication skills
          • Dealing with any crisis situations affecting the family
          • Learning how to cope with family disagreements
          • Sharing personal experiences and perspectives with each other

          Your therapist may also give assignments to you, specific family members or your entire family. If so, you’ll work on these assignments and then report back during your next session.

          Want more information on what to expect in a family recovery program in South Florida? Seek timely responses from the specialists at Calusa Recovery.

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          Benefits of South Florida Family Therapy for Addiction Recovery

          In what specific ways can you benefit from adding family therapy to your recovery efforts? While results may vary, common positive outcomes include:

          • Improvement of your willingness to start and continue addiction treatment
          • Healthier family communication norms and habits
          • A higher overall level of family function
          • Individual healing for you and your family members
          • A greater chance that your family members will actively support your recovery

          The benefits of the therapy are not all or nothing. Family involvement can be helpful even when it’s incomplete or imperfect. This means that you can focus more on the process than on any specific end goal.

          Have more questions about the advantages of addiction family therapy? Calusa Recovery can answer them.

          Understanding Reality vs Illusion

          There are certain instances where reporting a loved one for a drug-related offense could lead to harsher sentencing. If any of the following are relevant, the judge might not grant an drug addiction treatment program as a sentence:

          Illusion:

          Charles successfully completed an addiction treatment program; rehab has cured his addiction.

          Reality:

          Charles has learned about addiction and how to apply what he’s learned to daily life. Now the work to stay sober begins.

          Maintaining a firm grip on reality can prevent families from becoming disproportionately optimistic. This protects them against exaggerated feelings of disappointment in the face of adversity and diminishes the likelihood of complacency.

          Honesty and Substance Abuse Disorders

          One of the subjects you’ll come across most frequently during family therapy is honesty. The role being honest plays during recovery cannot be overstated. Being honest with yourself, your family and your counselor is the only way to overcome addiction for good.

          Addiction leads to dishonesty in various forms: denial, projection, minimization, intellectualization, hostility, diversion and rationalization. Someone with an active substance use disorder is likely to call upon these tactics to facilitate their addiction.

          Turn to Calusa Recovery for Comprehensive Rehab Family Therapy in South Florida

          Your family relationships can help or hinder your recovery from drug or alcohol addiction. At the same time, your addiction can enormously impact other family members. The fact is that most people in rehab can benefit from family therapy. What’s more, your time in rehab can be just as beneficial for your family’s relationships with you. 

          Need family therapy in South Florida? This form of treatment plays an integral role at Calusa Recovery. We rely on family involvement daily to support recovery from substance problems. All therapy is fully customized for your family’s specific issues and situation. No matter the composition of your family unit, we can make adjustments to meet your unique needs. Contact us today to learn more about addiction family therapy at Calusa.