Last Updated:

January 30th, 2026

Psychotherapy therapy

Psychotherapy for addiction is a programme of talk therapy to treat substance use and behavioural addiction issues. It involves working with a trained therapist to change thoughts and behaviours around drugs, alcohol or behaviours like gambling. Psychotherapy is a very important part of drug and alcohol rehab treatment, helping those in recovery reclaim their life and prevent future relapse.

professional Psychotherapy session

What is psychotherapy for addiction?

Psychotherapy is a blanket term for various forms of talk therapy. In rehab programmes, it involves working with a therapist to understand why you drink, use drugs, or engage in addictive behaviours. The belief is that this greater understanding will help you take effective steps to overcome addiction for good.

Psychotherapy is the main treatment in most recovery programmes because it works on why you do what you do, rather than just telling you that you should stop. This is important because if the “why” is not resolved, you are likely to relapse later.

What are the benefits of psychotherapy for addiction?

Recovery is not an overnight breakthrough. It is the cumulative effect of therapy, detox, and support from professionals and loved ones. Psychotherapy can play a major part in helping you get sober and stay sober for life. Some of the biggest benefits include:

  • Emotional support during withdrawal
  • Improved mental health
  • Practical relapse prevention skills
  • Better relationships
  • Improved self-esteem
  • Self-compassion and forgiveness

What is the difference between therapy and psychotherapy?

People often use “therapy” and “psychotherapy” to mean the same thing. Technically, therapy is broader, as it includes approaches like physical therapy and occupational therapy, too. Psychotherapy specifically means psychological treatment through talking. However, when someone talks about therapy in alcohol and drug rehab, they usually mean psychotherapy.

Types of psychotherapy for addiction

There are many types of psychotherapy for drug and alcohol addiction. Different methods work better for different people, so a combination of techniques usually provides the most benefits. Some of the most important rehab therapies include:

CBT (Cognitive behavioural therapy)
CBT is one of the most researched psychotherapies for substance abuse disorders, behavioural addictions and various mental health conditions. It examines how your thoughts create your actions. You will learn to spot thought mistakes that lead to using drugs or drinking and replace them with thoughts which help you.
Psychodynamic therapy
This approach studies how your past has shaped your present behaviour. You will examine early-life experiences and automatic patterns to understand why you have become addicted to substances or behaviours like gambling.
Motivational interviewing
Motivational interviewing is when your therapist helps you to identify why you really want to change. You will discuss conflicting feelings and discover personal motivations that will keep you going during low points of recovery.
Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)
DBT teaches four skill sets: staying present, tolerating distress, managing emotions, and relating to others. It was originally created for borderline personality disorder, but DBT is now widely used in substance and behavioural rehab treatment.
EMDR (Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing)
EMDR treats trauma through side-to-side eye movements while recalling memories of traumatic experiences. For people whose alcohol or drug addiction stems from trauma, EMDR can reduce the distress without needing to talk too much about what happened.
12-step facilitation therapy
This therapy guides you through which AA meetings and NA meetings are based on. Your therapist will work through the early steps with you and get you ready for local support groups after you finish your residential treatment stay.

Psychotherapy sessions in addiction treatment

In residential rehab, you will usually take part in psychotherapy sessions every day. These can be solo sessions or in a group with recovery peers or even your family. This is what each involves:

Individual psychotherapy
This means meeting one-on-one with your therapist so you can work on personal issues that you feel are too private for groups. Your therapist can adapt treatment to your history and needs, with every session focused solely on you. Individual psychotherapy is not usually available in NHS rehab treatment, but it is a very important part of private recovery programmes.
Group psychotherapy
Group therapy sessions meet daily in most private rehab centres and are also offered by the NHS, usually on a weekly basis. You can share experiences, learn from others, practice new skills, and get feedback from people at different stages of recovery. Group psychotherapy establishes connections with others and helps you make sense of your own story.
Family psychotherapy
Some recovery programmes also include family therapy, where your loved ones attend therapy with you to improve communication and heal the hurt. These sessions can also teach your family how to help without making things worse. Family therapy can be painful, but improving these relationships often eliminates major triggers.

one to one Psychotherapy

Who benefits from psychotherapy?

Everyone with addiction can benefit from some form of psychotherapy, and what matters is finding the right type for you. It can be particularly beneficial for people with:

Trauma backgrounds
If early abuse or trauma contributed to your addiction, psychotherapy processes these experiences in safety. Trauma-focused methods like EMDR or psychodynamic therapy work well here and can provide some of the biggest breakthroughs.
Mental health problems
If you have mental health problems as well as addiction, psychotherapy works on both problems at once rather than just focusing on substance use.
A history of relapse
If you have tried stopping multiple times and keep relapsing, psychotherapy can help you discover what is holding you back. This is crucial because unresolved psychological problems often sabotage sobriety.

Finding psychotherapy for addiction

Most addiction treatment programmes include psychotherapy as regular treatment. However, when researching programmes, check which methods they use and how much one-on-one therapy is included.

Some programmes focus heavily on one approach, while others offer multiple methods. They can both be valid approaches, but being clear on what is included helps you pick.

You also need to check the therapist’s qualifications. They should be licensed counsellors, psychologists, or social workers with training in addiction treatment. Experience matters, so you should also ask how long therapists have been practising.

Next steps

If you’re looking to begin recovery or you want to know which programmes offer psychotherapy, Recovery.org can help. Contact us today, and we can get you started on the path to a whole new life.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does psychotherapy help with addiction recovery?
Psychotherapy treats why you use substances, not just the substance use itself. You discover your reasons for drinking or taking drugs, find better ways to deal with problems, and change thoughts and habits that continue the cycle. It can also help treat mental health problems like depression or trauma that often feed addictive behaviours. These psychological changes establish lasting recovery where physical detox alone often fails.
What is the difference between counselling and psychotherapy for addiction?
The terms overlap extensively in addiction treatment. Technically, psychotherapy zeroes in on psychological techniques while counselling covers a broader range of recovery topics. In practice, addiction treatment programmes often use the words interchangeably. When choosing a treatment programme, ask which forms of psychotherapy are offered because this will have a major impact on your recovery chances.
How long does psychotherapy for addiction last?
Time required varies by approach. For example, CBT typically runs for around three to four months, but psychodynamic therapy often continues for months or even years. Most residential treatment programmes provide psychotherapy daily for 28 to 90 days. After leaving residential treatment, continuing aftercare outpatient psychotherapy for at least a year can improve results significantly. Many people benefit from therapy even longer, particularly if they are affected by trauma or mental health conditions as well as addiction.

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