The team that leads our virtual IOP is dedicated to providing research-backed care that meets patients where they are in recovery.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a widely practiced, goal-oriented form of therapy that focuses on helping people identify and change negative thoughts and behaviors by teaching them how to recognize the connection between thoughts, emotions, and actions. It can help patients gain an understanding of how distorted thinking can lead to emotional distress and problematic behaviors.
When clinicians use CBT in sessions, they can help patients develop strategies for how to challenge and reframe their own negative thoughts, learn healthier coping strategies, improve emotion regulation, and build skills to manage challenges more effectively.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a specialized form of CBT that is designed to help people manage intense emotions, improve relationships, and develop healthier coping mechanisms. It is an empirically supported form of therapy that focuses on managing distress and teaching tangible skills for how to stay safe in a crisis and regulate emotions. It combines acceptance and change strategies, teaching clients how to balance accepting their current reality while working toward meaningful change.
DBT provides a structured, supportive framework that empowers individuals to live more balanced, fulfilling lives.
CBT & DBT Skills Groups
CBT and DBT skills groups offer tangible interventions and skill-building activities to help patients practice managing emotional, behavioral, or psychological challenges. These skills can be used alone while at home or at work, or in other situations.
Many topics are covered in the CBT and DBT skills group in our virtual intensive outpatient program, including:
- Understanding substance use patterns, triggers, urges, and coping
- Ambivalence and readiness to change
- Cognitive distortions and reframing
- Relapse prevention and weekend planning
- Thought replacement
- Roadblocks to recovery
- Maladaptive coping
- Planning ahead – navigating holidays and events
- Personal boundaries and boundary exploration
- Setting boundaries in relationships
- Building relationships and ending destructive relationships
- Communication styles
- Coping with triggers
- Resiliency
- Practicing gratitude
- Self-compassion
- Stress and recovery
- Obstacles to recovery
- Self-nurturing and self-care
- Distress tolerance
- Mindfulness
- Analyzing behavior
- Crisis survival skills
- Emotion regulation
- Interpersonal effectiveness
Group facilitators are equipped to tailor sessions to meet the needs of the patients in the group, adapting discussions, activities, and approaches to make sure that everyone feels supported, engaged, and empowered throughout the treatment process.
This content was written on behalf of and reviewed by the clinical team at Connections of Florida.
