What is Motivational Therapy For Addiction Treatment?

Medically reviewed by

David Hunter, MA.Ed, LPC

April 4, 2019

Like many hurdles in life, addiction can seem overwhelming. A little buzz here and there can snowball into a larger issue that you don’t know how to fix. If you can identify substance abuse in yourself or a loved one, an immediate intervention is the key to tackling the problem.

Surrounding the abuser with friends and family that are willing to show support through the rehabilitation process is a large component of motivational therapy, which will ultimately lead towards a successful recovery. Your family is not trying to force you to get help, you need to want to change yourself.

Motivational therapy techniques have been used in rehab centers across the country, which can easily allow you to find a center close to your support system.

Whether your addiction is new or recurring, it has affected more people than just you individually. Your friends and family are here to help you through your rehabilitation and with the help of motivational therapy sessions, they can aid in your recovery.

How Motivational Therapy Offers Recovery On Your Time

Motivational therapy is ideal for addicts willing to change for the better and need love and support to recover. Ultimately, motivational therapy depends on your desire to change and work with a therapist and/or support group to make and meet goals.

Compared to other forms of therapy that rely on over analyzing a problem and it’s negative aspects, motivational therapy creates solutions with compassionate, interpersonal focused therapy and training, including:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which helps an addict identify their feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. This allows them to condition themselves to notice addictive tendencies and consciously make an effort to correct themselves.
• Compassion Focused Therapy, which works to rebuild an addict’s sense of compassion and forgiveness towards themselves and others through spending time with animals and loved ones.
• Solution Focused Therapy, which concentrates on the present and future of an addict’s recovery. Through identifying the core changes and addict desires, solutions can be constructed to further recovery.

Motivational therapy begins and ends when a substance abuser is ready to change and has felt they have completed their therapy. There are no set start and stop points, as the therapy is meant to heal in its own time. There are five stages to motivational therapy, and each can be attained through dedication and self reflection.

How To Identify Stages Of Motivational Therapy

The five stages of motivational therapy are easy to identify and can help an addict along the road to recovery. The first stage is Precontemplation, which begins before a substance abuser realizes they need to change and are not ready or willing. Unless intervention is needed, many substance abusers who attend rehab are already at the second stage—Contemplation—where they have realized a change is needed. The next stages include:

• Preparation: In this stage the addict is ready to work with their therapist and a support group to create solutions while identifying addictive behaviors.
• Action: By the fourth stage, the addict is already putting their solutions to use. This includes several honest updates on progress with their therapist or support network.
• Maintenance: The final stage includes sustaining the solutions through behavioral changes that slowly begin to integrate into a new, addiction free lifestyle.

While working closely with motivational therapists, anyone can follow the path to recovery through the easily identifiable and attainable stages. By seeing compassion from family and friends, a substance abuser can surround themselves with positive things which can make a world of difference to someone who has seen the darkness of addiction.

If you or a loved one are suffering from substance abuse and could benefit from motivational therapy, contact us today for free information.