Making changes is hard in rehab, as in life. The more a person can work on themselves in rehab, the better off they will be when they leave. They are only there a very short amount of time, so it helps to have some focus on the right therapeutic support that can help women increase their ability to heal in recovery. Change is incremental, but motivational interviewing can help women find healing in rehab and move forward in recovery. Find out how it works and why women need it to support their healing journey.
Working Towards Change
Motivational interviewing has great success for people in addiction recovery. Women are especially responsive to this type of therapy because they are generally motivated to change through talk therapy more than men. The approach is collaborative and respectful, two things that support women in finding healing from addiction. There is space held for women to approach their situations with a focus on individual recovery while also finding room to connect with others who share the struggle. A shared, common ground with other women is often just what they need to find success for the long road ahead. What makes motivational interviewing such a helpful therapeutic experience is that each person is involved in a collaborative partnership with one another, working towards the goal of empowering each woman towards her healing. Information that has to do with current and past substance abuse, mindsets, behaviors, and psychosocial functioning are part of the experience and necessary to find help using this method.
Five Foundational Principles
Motivational interviewing works with five principles that form the foundation of its work. These five principles are taken from SAMHSA’s treatment protocol. When used properly, they help women find healing in recovery:
- Empathic listening: empathy is a learned skill that is used to understand someone else through listening. This requires attention to what the person says and thinking about their desires and needs. When a therapist listens well to the person they’re interviewing, they feel accepted and like their voice matters
- Look at goals and behavior: the woman will be interviewed to see if they recognize the impact of their current substance use. When they understand how it impacted them, they can begin to move towards positive change. When they are listened to, their goals and desires can be moved forward in a way that supports their life goals and desires.
- Move away from confrontation: a woman who uses substances may find their emotions off-kilter. To work on this, motivational interviewing helps the woman develop abilities and senses to cope with their emotions and regulate them better in everyday life. These responses can help them navigate healing within themselves and their relationships.
- Work with resistance: a therapist can work with a woman who is resistant so they find more balance towards healing. The key is to build rapport and a partnership with the person so they stay attuned to their needs and help the woman channel their energy in a healthy way that avoids too much resistance that may keep them stuck
- Build optimism for the future: people who are interviewing women in rehab can help them be more optimistic about where their struggles are and how to overcome them. Drug and alcohol addiction creates imbalance and fosters negative emotions. There will be moments of pessimism but if a woman can be more optimistic, she will have more possibilities in the future for her recovery
Find the Power Within
Women in rehab often come with low self-esteem and confidence. After years of addictive behaviors, they can feel like they are struggling to put all the pieces together that help them recover. Negative thoughts and behaviors can keep a woman locked in addiction. No matter how kind or compassionate she is, if she is addicted, she will continue to struggle towards meeting her personal goals. Motivational interviewing is a great way to bring women out of their shells in rehab, support them with empathy, and help them rebuild their lives. It is only a starting point, but if they can begin the journey feeling heard, then they may be more willing to be vulnerable down the road as they seek opportunities to grow in recovery.
Women are often challenged to find help for themselves as they are busy taking care of others. At some point, they realize what they are doing is no longer working. Maybe a loved one helped them realize this, but perhaps they discovered on their own they needed help. The challenge lies in finding the right hope for a future connected to recovery with people who support them and will help them journey forward. A good rehab center is an important step towards this goal.
Casa Capri helps women co-create their individual recovery of recovery. We offer a safe space to talk about addiction, trauma, and find a vulnerable place to reside with others who struggle on the same path. If you are ready to find help for addiction, call Casa Capri today: 844-593-8020
