When you're considering addiction treatment, you want to know one thing: how will this actually help me—or the person I love—get better? At Spring Grove Recovery, we believe true healing begins with understanding the root causes of addiction. That’s why individual therapy is foundational to our addiction treatment programs. Individual therapy offers the space, structure, and personalized support people need to heal not just from substance use, but from everything that feeds it.  

Whether you're navigating a personal struggle with addiction or trying to help someone else take the first, brave step, Spring Grove Recovery’s addiction therapy programs can help.

What contributes to substance use?  

Therapy works by helping you identify emotional triggers, recurring patterns, and harmful beliefs that may be contributing to your substance use. Understanding these challenging aspects of your life will help you predict when you might feel tempted to engage in substance use and help you develop new tools for coping.  

Emotional triggers 

Emotional triggers are internal or external experiences—such as stress, loneliness, or memories—that cause strong emotional reactions. In addiction recovery, these triggers are often what happens before someone decides to use a substance. Therapy helps you recognize these moments and choose healthier ways to respond. 

Recurring patterns 

Recurring patterns refer to repeated behaviors or thought cycles that reinforce addiction, like isolating when stressed or turning to substances after conflict. In therapy, discovering these patterns allows you to interrupt the cycle and make new, more constructive choices. 

Harmful beliefs 

Harmful beliefs are negative thoughts you hold about yourself, your worth, or your ability to change. These beliefs can fuel shame and hopelessness, making recovery feel impossible. Therapy works to challenge and replace these thoughts with affirming, reality-based perspectives that support your healing. 

Approaches used in therapy for recovery 

Through consistent support and clinical guidance, you can begin to rebuild trust in yourself and your ability to create change. A trained therapist will utilize what they’ve learned through your intake information, your initial sessions, and your goals to personalize your therapy experience. Part of that personalization includes choosing a specific approach. At Spring Grove Recovery, the types of individual therapy include:  

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): To help clients reframe negative thinking 
• Motivational interviewing (MI): To strengthen internal motivation for change 
• Person-centered counseling: To foster self-acceptance and empowerment 
• Art therapy: To encourage emotional expression and healing through creative processes 

For some, an overarching theme of trauma-informed therapy may be necessary. This means that traumatic experiences or long-term trauma will inform a therapist’s perspective and the coping strategies they choose to emphasize. Each person’s unique history impacts an effective therapeutic plan.  

In what ways is therapy necessary for addiction recovery? 

When integrated into a comprehensive treatment plan, individual therapy can be life-changing. It significantly increases the likelihood of long-term sobriety because it teaches individuals so much more than abstinence. It equips them with the tools they need to live well. People who have participated in individual therapy have a better understanding of what drives them to engage in substance use and what they can choose to do instead when life is painful or challenging. 

Individual therapy for addiction: 

• Decreases the chances of relapse 
• Improves emotional regulation and ability to manage stress 
• Enhances communication and relationship skills 
• Treats co-occurring mental health concerns 

Clients often report feeling more in control and more hopeful after consistent therapy sessions. With us, individual therapy in treatment is fundamental to recovery.

Uncovering the root causes of addiction 

Addiction often stems from a combination of factors. Some of those factors are: 

• Unresolved trauma 
• Emotional pain 
• Environmental influences 
• Mental health conditions.  

Through individual therapy, clients can dig deeper into the underlying causes and begin to understand the "why" behind their substance use. 

Acknowledging and processing underlying issues like childhood trauma, grief, chronic stress, or co-occurring mental health disorders helps people understand what they’re really fighting and can lead to significant change. Emotional healing and healthier coping skills lead to a more satisfying life post-treatment.  

A trauma-informed philosophy of care 

Trauma-informed therapy isn’t a specific technique or therapy style—it’s a philosophy that can be applied across all therapeutic approaches. It simply means a clinician allows a client’s trauma to inform and shape therapy in a way that emphasizes emotional safety, choice, and empowerment.  

Whether our clients are participating in CBT, MI, or art therapy, a trauma-informed lens ensures that their experiences are treated with sensitivity. Therapists using this perspective avoid re-traumatization and prioritize building trust.  

At Spring Grove Recovery, our clinicians understand how past pain can affect an individual’s present behavior and tailor sessions for your wellbeing.  

The anatomy of an individual therapy session at Spring Grove Recovery 

When you begin individual therapy at Spring Grove Recovery, you can expect to regularly meet with the same therapist so that rapport and trust can be built. Your therapist will also adjust strategies and techniques based on your progress, challenges, and your emotional readiness. Sessions are always personalized, but tend to follow a specific format: 

1. Check-in: Your therapist will begin by asking you how you’re feeling and by finding out if there’s anything urgent you’d like to discuss.  

2. Review of progress: You'll reflect together on what has changed, what strategies you’ve used, and what challenges have arisen. This helps measure your growth and refine your goals. 

3. Main discussion: This is the bulk of your session. You can share a recent experience, talk through a trigger, or process a memory. The therapist may use techniques from CBT, MI, or another approach they’re utilizing for your sessions. 

4. Skills building: Many sessions include practice with coping tools, mindfulness strategies, or communication techniques to help manage cravings and emotional distress. 

5. Closing and planning: You’ll end by summarizing insights, confirming next steps, and setting intentions for the coming days. This helps you leave feeling grounded and focused. 

At Spring Grove Recovery, we take a whole-person approach. Treating addiction can’t happen in isolation, so we address grief, depression, anxiety, shame, and any other emotional burdens that may be feeding substance use.  

Individual therapy during addiction treatment 

At Spring Grove Recovery, individual therapy happens throughout your time in treatment. During detox, therapy may focus on crisis support, emotional stabilization, and preparation for deeper work. Once in residential care, sessions become more focused and future-oriented. 

Our approach ensures that therapy evolves with your needs. As you move from physical stabilization to psychological healing, therapy provides the consistent thread that connects each stage of your recovery journey. 

Once you’re out of detox, you’ll also have access to other therapy formats including: 

• Group therapy 
• Life skills development 
• Family counseling 

These layers of care work together to support your emotional growth outside of individual therapy sessions, but individual therapy remains the foundation.

The Spring Grove Recovery vision for addiction treatment 

Our recovery space is a trusted sanctuary for renewal and growth, helping people in Colorado Springs and beyond build new beginnings rooted in care, courage, and community. As such, we provide clinical excellence at every juncture, setting you up for success post-treatment.  

Here, your therapy experience is: 

• Personalized: No cookie-cutter plans. Every client has a tailored path. 
• Compassionate: You're heard, respected, and supported at every step. 
• Integrated: Therapy works alongside medication-assisted treatment (MAT), detox, and holistic services 
• Accessible: We proudly accept Medicaid and most commercial insurances 

Whether you're facing anxiety, PTSD, depression, or years of substance use, our therapists are equipped to help you make meaningful progress. And because we offer both medical detox and inpatient care onsite, your healing can happen here without interruption.  

Call today and start your healing journey at Spring Grove Recovery 

Recovery isn’t a destination, it's a process. And therapy is where much of that process begins. If you or someone you love is ready to take the first step, we’re ready too.  

Call 719.415.3460 today or fill out our secure online form to learn more about our programs, verify insurance, and begin admissions. Our team is available 24/7 to answer your questions and provide the support you need. 

Spring Grove Recovery. Where healing is grown with care.