Therapeutic Modalities for Substance Abuse
At Bridging the Gaps, we pride ourselves on our clinical program and the state-of-the-art care we provide to each of our clients. Our trained clinicians offer person-centered treatment to meet each client where they are and help them reach their goals.
Addiction treatment in Virginia with BTG begins with a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment that evaluates a client’s history of a substance use disorder. It considers mental and emotional challenges, family relationships, history of trauma, and any possible barriers to recovery. Clinicians use this assessment to collaborate with the client and create a truly individualized treatment plan that addresses the client’s most significant needs and goals.
By carefully tailoring treatment plans and rehab programs in this way, the client and clinician can work together with clear direction. They can effectively and therapeutically address the underlying conditions that contribute to his or her addiction. These underlying emotions, core issues, and the unhealthy coping mechanisms that individuals typically adopt to deal with them are the ignition source for one’s addiction cycle. Until they are effectively addressed, they will continue to fuel a client’s substance use.
Our addiction treatment in Virginia is able to help clients work through factors that precipitate addictive behaviors by building a working relationship based on trust, openness, and honesty. With our wide range of treatment options, we equip them to make the significant changes critical for long-term sobriety.
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Trauma-Informed Care
In many cases, addiction is closely connected to other mood disorders or trauma-based life experiences. Our team has extensive experience with co-occurring disorders and employs the latest trauma-informed practices to help clients overcome more significant psychological barriers to recovery. If clients have particularly pronounced psychological issues that override their chemical dependency challenges, we partner with leading mental health professionals and resources in the area. This includes psychologists, psychiatrists, and specialized therapists.
Unlike larger treatment facilities, our small support group sizes and close client-to-counselor ratio inspires a unique sense of comfort and trust. Doing so allows clients to bring integrity and honesty to their therapeutic processes while establishing close and supportive bonds with their peers. Special care and consideration are taken to ensure that each client receives the personalized treatment they deserve. The customized care we provide ensures that each client has the tools they need to maintain long-term abstinence.
Evidence-Based Treatment
The clinical methods and addiction treatment therapies we use at BTG are evidence-based, and effective, and work together as an integrative whole. Clients can understand and address the underlying core issues associated with their addiction. BTG’s integrated treatment model involves evidenced-based addiction treatment methods including, but not limited to:
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Motivational Interviewing (MI)
- EMDR/Brainspotting
- Relapse prevention strategies
- Life skills training
Our Family Program
Addiction does not just affect the client in treatment; it touches each member of a family. The family’s support and engagement in their own recovery process can be vital to a client’s ability to maintain long-term sobriety.
That’s why we offer multiple opportunities for the family to engage in their loved one’s treatment while building a system of support and growth for themselves. Our staff educates and encourages family members to understand the impact that addiction has had on their loved ones and themselves. Meanwhile, suggesting approaches that will allow the entire family to move forward in a healthy and supported direction.
Whether you’re a spouse, family member, or loved one, treating the family dynamics of addiction is essential to the healing process. Our family program is designed to meet all family members’ individual needs and provide them with help in their recovery and growth process.
Our Family Program Inclusions
Individually tailored treatment services that can include both educational and therapeutic sessions
Regular phone and email communications from a credentialed clinician to provide updates on client progress and support in navigating issues or potential challenges
Weekend psycho-education sessions for family members that address the disease model of addiction, healthy boundaries and communication, codependency, shame cycles, grief and loss, and other critical topics
Conjoint therapeutic sessions with the client and family members to facilitate healthy communication and overcome resistance to change
Help family members interact positively and help meet their treatment objectives
Group family sessions led by a credentialed clinician where families can create their own support system. This support system will include people in similar situations, share their joys, and help each other cope with any challenges they face. Sessions focus on improving communications, identifying unhealthy patterns, restoring appropriate roles, and enhancing conflict resolution skills
Structured Family Recovery®
Our family program is delivered within the context of the Structured Family Recovery ® SFR program. SFR is an innovative, evidence-based approach that helps affected family members move past enabling and irritation. SFR helps a family become a collaborative recovery team with their addicted loved ones and other affected families.
SFR equips family members with the tools they need to better understand their loved ones and the disease of addiction. Family members leave SFR as a cohesive unit while using positive coping strategies. By working together, family members can create an atmosphere of transparency and accountability. Conclusively, SFR reduces the risk of a loved one’s relapse and promotes long-term abstinence.
Learn more about family therapy.
Rebalancing Neurochemistry After Addiction
Addiction creates imbalances in your neurochemistry. At Bridging the Gaps, we specialize in helping you to heal those imbalances. This is the foundational piece for long-term recovery that is often overlooked in other programs.
We educate our clients on the effect that drugs and alcohol have on the brain. The nutritional staff works closely with our clients to create positive eating habits and take appropriate nutritional supplementation. We also encourage our clients to engage in regular physical exercise.
Food & Nutrition
At BTG, the food and nutrition program is centered on supporting the client’s recovery. We focus on developing a healthy relationship with food to give clients an excellent foundation to build their health. This is important because not eating well can lead to not feeling well, increasing the chances of substance use. We provide:
- Weekly education sessions on cravings, intuitive eating, the effects of sugar, healthy living, cleansing and digestion, budget-friendly nutrition in the real world, etc.
- We have weekly individualized nutritional counseling sessions with our trained food and nutrition coordinator that address the client’s unique needs and goals.
- Hands-on exercises where the clients are guided in the process of planning for delicious and healthy meals, grocery shopping for nutritious foods, and preparing the meals
- Regular meals and snacks that are nutritionally sound are provided for participants in our residential drug treatment in Virginia that are appetizing, caffeine-free, and sugar-free.
We work to create a food experience that is safe, nourishing, and satisfying and help clients understand how to nourish themselves to support their well-being in recovery. These nutritional sessions help promote the client’s ability to utilize life skills throughout their recovery during and after treatment. The goal is to design experiences that inspire creativity and integration of proper nutrition in everyday life. Meanwhile, it will increase the client’s awareness of the importance of appropriate nutrition in sustained quality sobriety.
Oran Amino Acid and Nutrients
Upon admission, the medical team assesses each client and provides them with nutrients and oral amino acid protocol to directly address their neurotransmitter and nutritional deficiencies.
The amino acids rapidly rebalance the clients’ brains, which restores the functioning of the brain’s neurotransmitters. Addressing these neurotransmitter deficiencies, clients’ abstinence symptoms, including cravings, mood swings, and withdrawal symptoms, are dramatically reduced.
We also help clients find their natural sleep and biorhythms through nutritional and supplementation protocols.
For additional reading on how amino acids and neurological balance inform a more comprehensive healing and recovery approach, consider exploring the book Staying Clean & Sober by Miller and Miller.
Renewing the Mind After Addiction
Neurofeedback
BTG offers Neurofeedback to help rebalance the brain’s functioning. Neurofeedback is a type of biofeedback that uses real-time displays to illustrate brain activity and teach self-regulation.
The brain is designed to adapt to changes in the body and environment to function well at all times. However, for various reasons – genetics and environment – the brain gets “out of whack” and does not function as well as it should. The brain then becomes “dysregulated.”
A dysregulated brain tends to be over-stimulated when it is supposed to be calm and under-stimulated when it is supposed to be attentive. Through neurofeedback, we can “re-train” the brain to function normally again. When your brain is better regulated, it improves the regulation of thoughts, feelings, and focus.
Our trained neurofeedback technicians develop individualized treatment protocols for each client to gain the maximum benefits from the Neurofeedback sessions. After Neurofeedback sessions, many BTG clients state that they experience tremendous benefits, including improved relaxation and an increased ability to regulate thoughts and feelings.
Brainspotting
Brainspotting (BSP) is an evidence-based, brain-based, psychotherapeutic tool that identifies, targets, processes, and ultimately releases significant physical and emotional memories. BSP is based on the premise that where a person looks determines how they feel.
A “brain spot” is an eye position related to the emotional activation of a traumatic or emotionally charged memory within the brain. Once these “brain spots” are activated, the memory can be activated and be processed therapeutically and physiologically.
By working through these memories and learning grounding techniques, clients can better emotionally regulate and experience less anxiety. Ultimately are less likely to want to self-medicate with drugs and alcohol.
BSP is a powerful tool that is utilized here at BTG by a licensed and credentialed therapist. It is used for treating trauma, anxiety, addictions, and many other mental health diagnoses that involve emotional dysregulation. Our clients, who utilize BSP report tremendous benefits from the modality, including an increased sense of peace, reduced anxiety, reduced stress, and improved sleep.
Meditation
Stress can be a major barrier on the path to healing from drug and alcohol addiction. Learning how to meditate supports you on your recovery journey by calming your thoughts and regulating your emotions.
Meditation is a well-researched modality proven to help manage stress, promote relaxation, reduce anxiety and depression, improve sleep, and improve mental focus. Most addicts struggle with one or more of these symptoms in early recovery.
BTG has long used meditation as a centering and healing practice that promotes calm and wellbeing. Meditation is beneficial to clients who are recovering from the disease of addiction.
Our trained staff lead clients in meditation sessions which aid the clients’ on their path to healing spiritually, physically, and mentally. Meditation is easy to do with very little practice and has a host of benefits supported by medical research.
What often begins as a way to ease discomfort in the early stages of withdrawal and recovery often becomes a dedicated and life-enhancing practice among our clients.
Reawakening the Spirit
Experiential Therapy
Creative art therapies are dynamic approaches that allow clients to express themselves in healthy and productive ways creatively.
At times clients aren’t comfortable enough to have a regular conversation to resolve core issues in their life. For this reason, we offer art therapy and music therapy that provides the client with an opportunity to explore and understand a wide range of issues.
Expressive therapy is beneficial to those dealing with addiction because it provides them with ways to understand their addiction, express themselves in a healthy way, and develop healthy coping skills.
Expressive therapies aid in the healing process and can be an excellent way for clients to work through their experiences and emotions that have contributed to their addiction. Through creative expression therapies, clients can create meaning out of their journeys in a unique way.
Creative Expressions
Creative art therapies are dynamic approaches that allow clients to express themselves in healthy and productive ways creatively.
At times clients aren’t comfortable enough to have a regular conversation to resolve core issues in their life. For this reason, we offer art therapy and music therapy that provides the client with an opportunity to explore and understand a wide range of issues.
Expressive therapy is beneficial to those dealing with addiction because it provides them with ways to understand their addiction, express themselves in a healthy way, and develop healthy coping skills.
Expressive therapies aid in the healing process and can be an excellent way for clients to work through their experiences and emotions that have contributed to their addiction. Through creative expression therapies, clients can create meaning out of their journeys in a unique way.
Rejuvenating the Body
Acudetox
Our Acupuncture Detoxification Specialists use Chinese acupuncture to relieve many of the clients’ withdrawal symptoms and abstinence. Accudetox stimulates the body’s natural detox pathways and promotes relaxation.
Acupuncture has also been shown to reduce cravings, ease physical pain, decrease anxiety, regulate emotions, decrease stress, and regulate sleep. Accudetox is a valuable modality in aiding in the clients’ healing process.
Exercise
Regular exercise helps to support your whole system. At Bridging the Gaps, our clients have a daily opportunity for various types of movement. In addition to regular gym sessions, our clients have the opportunity to participate in classes such as yoga or kickboxing.
Movement helps to boost your mood, improve sleep, and increase your energy. Combined with our nutrition program, clients are supported in improving their physical health and wellbeing in early recovery.
Massage
In our Phase I program, Residential and Day Treatment Clients receive a massage to support their recovery. Stress is a severe barrier to healing from the disease of addiction. Clients who experience stress and anxiety are often tempted to return to substances to soothe those feelings.
Massage has also been shown to increase dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain, which improves a client’s overall outlook. The certified massage therapist at Bridging the Gaps tailors each session to meet the client’s needs. They target areas where the client feels tension and working to promote the client’s healing process.
Reiki
While in our Phase II program, Residential and Day Treatment clients receive a Reiki session. Reiki is a form of energy healing that encourages the body’s natural healing mechanisms, which is beneficial to someone on their path to recovery from addiction.
The reiki master at BTG individualizes her treatment to each client’s needs to promote their healing process. Our clients report experiencing tremendous benefits from reiki sessions, including feeling a deep state of relaxation and more peace.
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