Therapies for Mental Health and
Addiction Recovery:
Everything You Need to Know

At New Life Recovery, we provide holistic and evidence-based addiction treatment therapies for integrated healing and recovery. Learn more here.

Table of Contents

Why Therapy Is Essential in Addiction Treatment

Addiction treatment therapies create space to pause, reflect, and understand how your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are connected.

For many, these therapies are the first opportunity to explore not just what they are doing, but why they have been engaging in this behavior.
addiction treatment therapies

Addiction Affects More Than Just the Body

Addiction is rarely just about cravings or chemical dependency – it is often rooted in deeper struggles, such as unresolved grief, early trauma, ongoing stress, or untreated mental health conditions. 

Over time, substance use disorder (SUD) becomes a way to avoid pain, silence anxiety, or escape difficult emotions when healthier coping tools feel out of reach.

In therapy, these underlying patterns come into focus. Someone may realize that they have learned to emotionally shut down because it felt safer than being vulnerable. They may also discover that turning to substances was a way to manage anxiety they never knew how to name.
Therapy helps untangle these connections between life experiences, emotional reactions, and the behaviors that follow.

What’s the Connection Between Trauma and Addiction?

Find Healing with New Life Recovery

At New Life Recovery, your addiction treatment therapies plan is built with this full picture in mind. We do not separate addiction from mental health – we treat them as part of the same story.

As you work through the root causes, you are also building emotional resilience, self-awareness, and practical strategies to support long-term healing.
This kind of therapy does more than help you get sober. It helps you stay steady, rebuild confidence, and create a life that actually feels worth living.
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Overview of Evidence-Based Addiction Therapies

At New Life Recovery, we use addiction treatment therapies that are backed by research and proven to help people heal from both substance use and the mental health challenges that often coincide with it.
Some evidence-based addiction treatment therapies we utilize include:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT is practical, focused, and action-oriented. It’s designed to help you identify the thought loops and core beliefs that fuel addiction and then shift them into something healthier.

In practice, let’s say you’ve had a hard day. Your brain says, “I can’t deal with this, I need a drink.” In a CBT session, you’d stop and examine that thought to look into:
  • Where is it coming from?
  • What emotion is behind it? (anxiety, loneliness, anger?)
  • What has happened in the past when you followed that thought?
  • What could happen if you chose something different?
Then, you work with your therapist to create new thought pathways.

What is CBT?

Key CBT Techniques

CBT utilizes different modalities and processes to help participants in reframing harmful thoughts and experiences to find easier ways to cope with life’s stresses and difficulties.
Some of the most common tools are:
  • Thought records: Journaling specific moments where a thought led to a feeling or action.
  • Behavioral experiments: Trying new ways to respond to stress and seeing what happens.
  • Cognitive restructuring: Actively replacing distorted beliefs with more balanced ones. 
CBT is one of the most widely used and effective addiction treatment therapies for building long-term recovery.1

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Where CBT focuses on thoughts and actions, DBT focuses on emotions – especially big, fast, or overwhelming ones. If your emotional reactions feel like they go from 0 to 100, DBT offers real ways to slow down and stay in control.
In DBT sessions, you don’t just talk about feelings, you learn how to manage them.
This includes specific tools like:
  • Mindfulness: Staying present instead of spiraling into past regrets or future fears.
  • Distress tolerance: Getting through overwhelming moments without acting on impulse.
  • Emotion regulation: Understanding what you’re feeling and why, so you can respond instead of react.
  • Interpersonal effectiveness: Learning to set boundaries, ask for what you need, and handle conflict without losing control.
DBT is especially helpful for those dealing with trauma, mood instability, or co-occurring mental health conditions. It gives people tools to stop surviving on edge and start living with intention.2

What is DBT?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR helps people work through traumatic memories that feel “stuck.” This might be a single event, such as a loss or accident, or long-term emotional pain from childhood, abuse, or unstable relationships.

In EMDR sessions, you’ll choose a memory or experience that causes emotional distress. Then, when you are focusing on the memory, your therapist will guide you through sets of bilateral stimulation, either through eye movements or side-to-side tapping.
This back-and-forth movement helps both sides of your brain process the memory. You won’t forget what happened, but it will start to feel less raw, less vivid, and more like something in the past rather than something you’re still reliving.
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What EMDR Offers in Recovery

EMDR can be a powerful tool to help participants achieve:
  • The ability to face triggers without emotional overload.
  • Relief from recurring flashbacks, guilt, or anxiety.
  • A chance to finally make peace with painful experiences without needing to numb them with substances.
For many, EMDR reduces the emotional intensity of trauma enough to stop the cycle of escape and avoidance.3
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Schema Therapy

Schema therapy is another pivotal option for addiction treatment therapies, as it focuses on the core beliefs you carry, especially the ones formed early in life that still shape how you feel, act, and relate to others.

These beliefs often feel like unspoken rules, such as, “I always mess things up,” or, “People will leave me.” Over time, these thoughts can lead to chronic emotional pain and repeated self-sabotage.

Schema Therapy in Action

You and your therapist will explore past experiences and connect them to current struggles. You’ll identify your dominant “schemas,” understand how they formed, and recognize the ways they still affect your choices and relationships.

From there, you begin practicing new, healthier responses that you can apply in everyday life. Schema therapy is especially helpful for people who have experienced personality disorders or depression.4

Integrating Addiction Treatment Therapies into Personalized Care

At New Life Recovery, our team builds customized treatment plans that reflect each person’s unique history, symptoms, goals, and support needs. Evidence-based addiction treatment therapies are a core part of this process, and we integrate them with intention and flexibility.

Whether you are coping with past trauma, struggling with anxiety or depression, or feeling overwhelmed by stress, we select therapies that fit your story and meet you where you are.

The Role of Group Therapy and Peer Support

Group therapy and peer support are an essential part of our addiction treatment therapies.
While each person’s story is unique, many share common feelings of shame, fear, guilt, or the pressure to be perfect. By showing up consistently and supporting one another, you begin forming healthy connections that can continue beyond treatment.5

Group Sessions Reinforce Individual Growth

What you work on in one-on-one sessions – such as setting boundaries, managing emotions, or shifting negative thinking – can be strengthened in a group setting. Group therapy gives you a chance to apply those skills with real people while still having the support of a trained professional.

For example:
  • If you’ve been working on assertiveness in individual therapy, you can practice speaking up in a group.
  • If you’re learning how to manage anger or anxiety, the group setting can give you feedback and encouragement as you try new responses.
  • If you struggle with shame, you may find healing by helping someone else feel seen and understood.

Daily Group Therapy at New Life Recovery

At New Life Recovery, we don’t offer one-time sessions or rigid formats with our addiction treatment therapies. Instead, we provide daily group therapy that’s thoughtfully adjusted to fit your level of care, whether you’re in detox, residential treatment, or a step-down program.
Here’s how it works across different levels of care:

Detox Level

During detox, your body is still stabilizing, so your emotions may feel unpredictable. That’s why our groups at this stage are focused on comfort, support, and connection.
Group therapy at the detox level will have the following attributes:
  • Groups are short, gentle, and optional, depending on how you’re feeling.
  • Topics may include managing cravings, understanding the detox process, and finding calm through grounding techniques.
  • These sessions are led by trained staff who understand the emotional ups and downs of early recovery. 

Residential Treatment

Once you’ve moved beyond detox, group therapy becomes more structured and central to your day.
It will provide the following opportunities and organization:
  • You’ll participate in multiple groups per day, each designed to help you grow emotionally, mentally, and socially.
  • Topics may include coping with triggers, rebuilding trust, relapse prevention, and relationship dynamics.
  • Groups often include skills-based sessions rooted in evidence-based addiction treatment therapies, like CBT or DBT.
  • You’ll also attend process groups where you can share openly, give feedback, and learn from your peers.

Step-Down or Transitional Programs

As you prepare for life outside of treatment, our group therapy adapts to support real-world challenges.
In these programs, we focus on having:
  • Sessions that prioritize reintegration, like navigating work stress, family expectations, or ongoing mental health needs.
  • Peer-led groups and alumni check-ins may be included, offering continued connection.
  • Skills practice from earlier phases such as emotion regulation and healthy communication in group discussions that reflect the life you’re returning to.
Group sessions are one of the ways New Life Recovery incorporates addiction treatment therapies into real change, one day at a time.
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Complementary and Holistic Addiction Treatment Therapies

Regular physical activity and mental wellness practices are associated with reduced drug cravings, higher abstinence rates, and improved quality of life, serving as a powerful complement to traditional therapies​.6
New Life Recovery recognizes this, which is why we incorporate holistic addiction treatment therapies into your healing plan.

Types of Holistic Addiction Treatment Therapies

New Life Recovery offers multiple holistic options to include in your healing journey, including:
  • Fitness activities: These activities build strength, reduce anxiety, and boost mood. Whether it’s guided movement or stretching, we make it approachable for all levels. 
  • Mindfulness practices: This helps you slow down and stay present through practices like meditation, especially when emotions run high. 
  • Nutrition support: This ensures your body gets what it needs to heal, especially after long-term substance use. We’ll also help you learn how food affects mood, energy, and recovery. 
  • Cold plunge therapy and sauna: These aid in reducing inflammation, improving sleep, and regulating stress. Many clients find these practices calming and invigorating during treatment. 
These wellness tools don’t just feel good in the moment – they also give you healthy routines to carry into life after treatment.

Building Balance with Spiritual and Life Skills Support

Many people find that recovery is about rediscovering who they are. Whether it means reconnecting with your values or learning how to manage daily responsibilities, these services help bring clarity, structure, and purpose into your life.
Some offerings include:
  • Spiritual guidance: This is available for anyone who wants to explore connection, purpose, or a greater sense of self. It’s not merely about religion – it’s about supporting your inner growth in whatever way feels right for you.
  • Life skills development: This includes practical tools like goal-setting, time management, emotional awareness, and communication. Rebuilding them after addiction helps you feel more grounded and capable as you move forward. 
These services coupled with other addiction treatment therapies support your ability to function, thrive, and stay focused on what matters to you in recovery.

Combining These Offerings with Traditional Therapy

What makes New Life Recovery unique is how we blend these holistic practices into the structure of addiction treatment therapies and further care.
For example:
  • A day might start with light movement or mindfulness to help you feel grounded before an individual CBT or EMDR session.
  • After a group focused on emotional regulation, you might continue building that skill through a cold plunge, journaling, or a nutrition session.
  • If you’re working through deep belief patterns in schema therapy, you can process those emotions further during a spiritual check-in or quiet time in the sauna.
  • What you practice in therapy like stress management or communication gets reinforced in real life through your daily activities, meals, and peer support.
By combining traditional addiction treatment therapies with holistic care, we help you heal in a way that feels complete. Your body, mind, and spirit all get the support they need so that recovery feels more natural, sustainable, and connected to who you are.

How to Know Which Therapies Are Right for You

Choosing the right addiction treatment therapies can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re just starting your recovery journey.
The truth is, there’s no single path that works for everyone. It’s important to find a program that offers options and knows how to tailor them to your personal goals, history, and needs.

Start with a Professional Assessment

Knowing which therapy is right for you isn’t something you have to figure out on your own. At New Life Recovery, every client begins with a full clinical assessment by trained professionals who take the time to understand your mental health, substance use history, medical needs, and personal goals.
This assessment helps guide your care in a way that’s thoughtful and precise, not rushed or generalized.
With this full picture, our clinical team can recommend the best mix of addiction treatment therapies for you. When therapy is based on your actual needs, you are more likely to stay engaged, feel supported, and make real progress.

Adaptable Addiction Treatment Therapies

Recovery isn’t linear. Some weeks, you may feel motivated and clear-headed, while other days, things feel overwhelming. That’s why the best therapies are designed to meet you where you are, with options that can shift as your needs change.
At New Life Recovery, we offer trauma-informed care, which means we recognize how trauma may be influencing your behavior, choices, and emotional state. Our team takes that into account with every therapy we provide, so you never feel pushed, judged, or rushed.

The Full Spectrum at New Life Recovery

The right addiction treatment therapies will support you through every phase of healing. At New Life Recovery, we offer full-spectrum support from your first day through long-term follow-up.
This includes:

Detoxification

If you’re physically dependent on substances, the first step is a safe, medically supervised detox. This phase focuses on stabilizing your body, managing withdrawal symptoms, and preparing you emotionally and mentally for the deeper work ahead.

Here you will be:
  • Monitored by medical staff.
  • Given emotional support around the clock, as needed.
  • Offered group therapy or mindfulness activities, depending on your comfort level.

Residential Treatment

Once detox is complete, most clients transition into our residential program. This is where the core therapeutic work begins. You’ll live on-site in a structured, supportive environment where you can focus entirely on your healing.

This stage provides:
  • Daily individual and group therapy sessions.
  • Access to addiction treatment therapies like CBT, DBT, EMDR, and schema therapy.
  • Complementary holistic services include fitness, mindfulness, nutrition, sauna, and cold plunge.
  • 24/7 support from clinical, medical, and recovery staff.
This phase helps build new habits, emotional skills, and a strong foundation for lasting recovery.

Outpatient Services

When you’re ready to return home or step down from residential care, we help you transition into outpatient treatment. This ensures continuity, so your therapy doesn’t stop, it simply shifts to meet your new reality.
We support you through:
  • Flexible therapy schedules to fit around work, school, or family.
  • Continued access to individual and group therapy.
  • Help with relapse prevention, stress management, and long-term planning.
  • Ongoing coordination with your previous care team, so nothing is lost in the transition.

An Integrated Team That Stays With You

Throughout every level of care, you’ll work with a consistent, collaborative team. Therapists, case managers, medical providers, and wellness staff all stay connected, so your addiction treatment therapies stay aligned with your goals.

Whether you’re managing withdrawal, rebuilding your confidence, or preparing for life beyond treatment, you’ll have people who know your story and are ready to support your next step.
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Ready to Take the Next Step Toward Healing?

If you have been struggling with addiction, mental health challenges, or both, you do not have to face it alone. Exploring addiction treatment therapies can open the door to healing your mind, body, and sense of self. With the right support, real change is possible.
At New Life Recovery, our expert team works closely with you to create a personalized therapy plan. As your needs change, your care evolves. From individual counseling to holistic support and group sessions, we adjust each step to match your progress and goals.

Ready to Start Your New, Healthier Life?

You deserve a level of care that comprehensively addresses your entire being – not merely the surface-level presentation of your symptoms. True and lasting healing begins with access to the appropriate and tailored support system.
Don’t wait to begin this next phase of your life. At New Life Recovery, we hope to be the last step in your journey to healing with our quality, effective addiction treatment therapies.

Reach out to our team today for lasting healing.


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