Psychoeducational Groups for Substance Abuse Treatment

A psychoeducational group is a specific type of group therapy that focuses on educating clients about their particular disorders and the ways that they can cope with problems related to their disorder.

Many psycho-educational groups consist of members that all share the same diagnosis. In other groups, members may have very different diagnoses, and the educational focus is on practical life skills such as living within a community or accepting rules.

Psycho-education groups have trained professionals acting as group leader with high involvement in the group activity. This type of group therapy works well for mental health issues but has also worked well for drug and alcohol treatment.

Many substance abuse recovery patients are in denial of their issues, so moderated group therapy works well for discussing problem issues that are shared by many or all people in the group. There is an air of trust among people with common problems, which helps to facilitate discussion.

One of the goals of Psycho-education groups is to provide support and direction for understanding the problem issues, and how to minimize their impact now and in the future.

Common issues for discussion in the psychoeducation group therapy for substance abuse can include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Trust Issues
• Common Triggers
• Medications for support
• Types of Addictions
• Stress
• Relationships

While this list only offers suggestions for discussion, it is up to the group members and group leader to identify the topics that will be best suited for each individual group.

Participation, trust, and confidentiality are important aspects of successful group activity. Keeping open communication is vital to the health of the group and sharing thoughts and insights with the group helps elevate the growth of every individual in the group.

Topics discussed within the group environment can later be discussed in more detail during individual one-on-one therapy for every individual in the group. Research has shown that group therapy combined with individual therapy has greater success and outcomes than just one or the other alone.

The SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) has a great book on their website about the topic called, Substance Abuse Treatment: Group Therapy.

At Inspire Malibu, Psycho-educational groups are conducted by trained mental health professionals. They have a firm commitment to each client’s individual progress and healing.

For More Information, Call Us at 800-444-1838.