Group Therapy For Addiction

The Assignment

In a 2- to 3-page paper, address the following:

Identify the psychotherapeutic approach that the group facilitator is using, and explain why she might be using this approach.

Determine whether or not you would use the same psychotherapeutic approach if you were the counselor facilitating this group, and justify your decision.

Identify an alternative approach to group therapy for addiction, and explain why it is an appropriate option. Support your position with evidence-based literature.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

· Evaluate psychotherapeutic approaches to group therapy for addiction

To prepare:

· Review this week’s Learning Resources and reflect on the insights they provide on group therapy for addiction.

· View the media, Levy Family: Sessions 1-7, and consider the psychotherapeutic approaches being used.

· Levy Family Episode 1 Program Transcript [MUSIC PLAYING] FEMALE SPEAKER: You’re not dressed? You’re going to be late for work. MALE SPEAKER: I’m not going to work. I’m sick. FEMALE SPEAKER: Of course you’re sick. You’re hungover. I don’t want the boys to see you like this. Go back to bed. MALE SPEAKER: See me like what? I told you, I’m sick. FEMALE SPEAKER: Well, what do you call it when someone is sick almost every morning, because they drink every night while they sit in the dark watching TV? MALE SPEAKER: You calling me a drunk? FEMALE SPEAKER: What do you call it? MALE SPEAKER: I call it, leave me the hell alone. FEMALE SPEAKER: Baby, you need to stop this. It’s tearing us up. The drinking, the anger– you’re depressed. MALE SPEAKER: You said, for better or worse. FEMALE SPEAKER: My vows don’t cover this. You were never like this before. You’ve changed. I want us back, the way we used to be. MALE SPEAKER: That way is dead. It died when I went to Iraq.

· Levy Family Episode 2 Program Transcript FEMALE SPEAKER: I want to thank you for getting me this Levy case. I think it’s so interesting. Just can’t wait to meet with the client. MALE SPEAKER: What do you find interesting about it? FEMALE SPEAKER: Well, he’s just 31. Usually the vets I work with are older. If they have PTSD, it’s from traumas a long time ago. But Jake, this is all pretty new to him. He just left Iraq a year ago. You know, I was thinking he’d be perfect for one of those newer treatment options, art therapy, meditation, yoga, something like that. MALE SPEAKER: Why? FEMALE SPEAKER: Well, I’ve been dying to try one of them. I’ve read a lot of good things. Why? What are you thinking? MALE SPEAKER: I’m thinking you should really think about it some more. Think about your priorities. It’s a good idea to be open-minded about treatment options, but the needs of the client have to come first, not just some treatment that you or I might be interested in. FEMALE SPEAKER: I mean, I wasn’t saying it like that. I always think of my clients first. MALE SPEAKER: OK. But you mentioned meditation, yoga, art therapy. Have you seen any research or data that measures how effective they are in treatment? FEMALE SPEAKER: No. MALE SPEAKER: Neither have I. There may be good research out there, and maybe one or two of the treatments that you mentioned might be really good ideas. I just want to point out that you should meet your client first, meet Jake before you make any decisions about how to address his issues. Make sense?