Her first career was in animal training and behavior following her bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from the University of Connecticut in 2008. Jane strives to combine her knowledge and experience from her prior careers and education to provide the highest level of care to Alina Lodge’s students and families as a member substance abuse group activities for adults of the clinical team. Developing interpersonal skills, building resilience, and group talks around addiction topics can help someone change their mindset and begin to heal. Group therapy is an important part of the recovery journey for many people who are overcoming addiction and going through substance abuse treatment.

Expressive Writing

This can include medication-assisted treatment, group therapy, individual therapy, life skills groups, psychoeducation groups, and support groups. Some clients may present with reluctance to participate in the different forms of group therapy during their treatment program. Individual therapy provides clients with one-on-one time with a trained Counselor which can feel less overwhelming and more personal than a group setting. When a client shares their hesitations with you about group therapy, there are numerous benefits that you can discuss with them. In this post, I highlight 58 Substance Abuse Group Therapy Activities for Recovery that you can use with your clients.

• The best discussion topics will depend on the focus of the group, the stage of treatment, and the type of session.
• They also work to develop their communication skills and learn to engage in fun, healthy social experiences.
• Theraplatform, an EHR, practice management and teletherapy tool built for therapists can help you share and organize your materials.
• To learn more about addiction recovery, please reach out to a Recovering Champions specialist.

Best CBT Group Activities Essential For SUD Treatment

PositivePsychology.com offers a wealth of therapy resources that can be used and applied in group settings. A variety of group activities can be incorporated in the termination phase to assist in this process and help group members transition out of group therapy. Have group members end the session by going around the room and sharing a take-home affirmation they learned or recognized during the meeting. Closing activities should highlight important aspects and reinforce any themes of the session. These activities help to unite group members and encourage them to work on themselves outside of the session before the next meeting. Each member will take one of the above and be guided through a mindful eating session.

Goal Setting for Therapy

• Jane received her master’s degree in Clinical Counseling from Centenary University in 2022.
• Have group members collaborate and come up with a group motto based on the goals and outcome of the group sessions.
• Mindful body scans are a great, simple practice for coming back into awareness of the body.
• Completing this worksheet in a group setting can help clients connect with each other and realize that they are not alone in their negative thoughts and beliefs.

Group members can empathize/relate, share their observations and/or how it made them feel, and offer feedback. In addition to enhancing a sense of community, this activity provides an avenue for discussing harmful stereotypes and stigma. Group facilitation wasn’t always comfortable, and I made many mistakes, but I grew.

If you want to capitalize on the atmosphere facilitated by group cooking, you can come up with discussion questions to guide the group afterward. Next, invite the group to pair off—one will take on a speaker role and the other will listen. The participant who is in a speaker role first can then pick a theme they’d like to talk about for a timed period of three minutes. Anything from their favorite vacation ever to their kids or similar.

Positive Outcomes of Treatment

Group therapy provides a uniquely rich environment and powerful setting that can improve mental health. We are hardwired for attachment and groups, which are potent sources of change for the central nervous system, brain, and emotional wellbeing (Denninger, 2010). Carol also facilitates the multi-day Family Intensives Program for family members and students who demonstrate change and commitment to recovery.

Substance abuse group activities for relapse prevention

• Balancing empathy with gentle encouragement helps participants explore their ambivalence and find their intrinsic motivations for change.
• Journaling is about getting in touch with your experiences through writing, while expressive writing is about processing emotions.
• Sharing personal stories fosters a sense of connection, empathy, and encouragement.
• Rachel grew up local to Alina Lodge and enjoys hiking, fishing, and being outside as much as possible.
• Pratt (1907) believed that the emotional connection and support led to increased hope and physical improvement.

Jennifer brings over 25 years of nursing experience to the Lodge ranging from public health to corporate health. Megan has been a member of the Alina Lodge family for many years, serving as an intern in 2011, and joining the Clinical team full time in January of 2012. Prior to coming to Alina Lodge, Megan was the Senior Case Supervisor for Passaic County Court Appointed Special Advocates. He strives to show them that spirituality can elevate the joy of living. Bill began his Alina Lodge career in 2011 as a Facilitator and decided to pursue a CADC after seeing Students’ lives transformed over the course of their stay in treatment. As part of his internship, Bill also worked at The Center for Prevention and Counseling in Newton, New Jersey.

Group Therapy Topics for Addiction

Alternatively, we have an extensive collection of free worksheets on challenging negative thoughts in this CBT worksheets article. This fun activity is based on the work of renowned psychologists Elisha Goldstein, Aaron Beck, and David Burns. Ask each member one of these questions or all of these questions if time permits, and encourage them to give it some thought and answer it honestly and in a meaningful way. This worksheet includes an outline of a person or child with six boxes to fill in, three on each side. This Inside and Outside Worksheet can be a great tool for families with young children in therapy. It is intended for a child to complete, and the results can be discussed as a family to facilitate understanding and come up with solutions for family problems.

• Group therapy sessions dedicated to goal setting help individuals define their aspirations, both in the short-term and long-term.
• Her journey led to a change in the industry, and Jackie began her career at Haley House in 2011 as Resident Advisor.
• Warm-up exercises serve as a bridge between members’ daily lives and focused group discussions.
• This article will define group therapy, describe typical sessions, and provide several activities and exercises you can put to use in your group therapy sessions.
• Essentially, goal visualization is mental imagery of the participant’s desired positive future, whether that relates to the goal achievement itself or simply to the process of working toward it.
• In this icebreaker, participants are asked to organize themselves into smaller groups based on a category, such as favorite color, favorite food, number of siblings, etc.

Try a few of these and see how they resonate with your group then figure out how you can proceed. Group goal-setting helps people in recovery set and pursue meaningful objectives together. By breaking down larger goals into manageable steps according to participants’ capabilities, the group gains a sense of accomplishment and enhanced self-esteem. Engaging in healthy, active pursuits provides an effective way to manage stress, one of the most common relapse triggers.