Substance Use Counseling in Chicago

Is Outpatient Substance Use Counseling Right for You?

Substance use concerns exist on a spectrum, and not everyone needs the same level of support.

At Balanced Awakening, we provide outpatient psychotherapy for adults who want help understanding their substance use, changing established habits, managing cravings, or addressing the emotional and relational factors that may contribute to their patterns.

This approach may be a good fit if you’re looking to reduce your use, explore sobriety, strengthen your coping skills, or work through concerns such as anxiety, stress, or relationship difficulties alongside substance use.

Some situations require more specialized or intensive treatment. If you’re experiencing significant physical dependence, potentially dangerous withdrawal symptoms, or substance use that makes it difficult to remain safe between appointments, a medical evaluation or higher level of care may be necessary.

Our team can help you determine whether outpatient psychotherapy is an appropriate starting point or whether another type of support would better meet your needs.

What is Substance Use Counseling?

Substance use counseling is a form of talk therapy or counseling that supports you in making adjustments or improvements in your relationship with substances, including drugs, alcohol, or any other substance that’s negatively impacting your life. Our substance use counselors work directly with individuals who are using substances or in recovery, and with friends and family of those who use or have used substances in the past.

Substance use counseling can focus more specifically on:

• Assessing and Working with Readiness to Change: We can help you take an inventory of your options when it comes to your substance use, and help you feel more ready to make changes with your substance use patterns.

• Identifying Triggers and Cravings: We help clients understand the situations, emotions, or people that may trigger their desire to use substances. Clients can learn to recognize early signs of cravings and develop healthy ways to cope and avert substance use in the moment.

• Behavioral Change Techniques: Techniques like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) can be utilized to help you identify and change thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to substance use. This often involves breaking down automatic responses to stressors and replacing them with healthier habits.

• Building Coping Skills: Developing practical skills for managing stress, anxiety, anger, and other emotions without relying on substances is key. This may include problem-solving skills, mindfulness, or relaxation techniques.

• Planning for Setbacks and Maintaining Progress: Changing established habits isn’t always a straightforward process. Therapy can help you recognize warning signs, prepare for challenging situations, and respond to setbacks with curiosity and self-compassion rather than shame.

• Addressing Co-Occurring Mental Health Concerns: Substance use can be connected to anxiety, depression, trauma, stress, and other emotional challenges. When clinically appropriate, our therapists can explore these concerns together, helping you understand how they interact and develop healthier ways of coping.

• Developing a Support System: Counselors often encourage clients to build or reconnect with a supportive network, including family, friends, or support groups like AA or NA, to strengthen recovery efforts.

Benefits of Substance Use Counseling

Engaging in substance use counseling can be important to build momentum in your improving relationship with substances. Some that come to mind are below:

• Building Self-Awareness: We can help clients understand the root causes of their substance use, such as unresolved trauma, stress, or mental health challenges. This self-awareness is foundational for making sustainable changes.

• Developing Coping Skills: A major focus in substances use counseling is teaching clients healthier ways to handle stress, anxiety, depression, and other difficult emotions without relying on substances. These coping strategies can include mindfulness, relaxation techniques, and problem-solving skills.

• Identifying Triggers and Cravings: We work with clients to recognize the specific triggers that lead to substance use. Learning to identify these can help clients avoid high-risk situations or manage them in healthier ways.

• Supporting Sustainable Change: Whether you’re reducing your substance use, taking a break, or working toward sobriety, therapy can help you identify potential challenges, develop coping strategies, and maintain progress over time.

• Improving Mental Health: Many individuals with substance use issues also face co-occurring mental health conditions. We are well equipped to understand and work with all of the variable affecting your treatment, addressing both mental health and substance use.

• Strengthening Relationships: Substance use can often strain relationships. We often help clients with rebuilding trust, enhancing communication, and setting boundaries, which can create a supportive network for recovery.

• Enhancing Motivation and Goal Setting: Techniques like motivational interviewing help clients set realistic and meaningful recovery goals. These goals serve as a roadmap, motivating clients and giving them a sense of purpose and direction. Even if you’re not ready to change your relationship with substances now, by exploring your broader vision for yourself and your life, you may discover later that you’re motivated to make changes in substance use.

• Creating a Support Network: We can help clients connect with support groups and other resources that continue to provide encouragement, community, and accountability beyond counseling sessions.

• Encouraging Accountability: Regular sessions provide clients with a space to reflect on their progress, discuss setbacks, and adjust their recovery plans. This accountability helps clients stay committed to their goals and develop resilience.

• Improving Physical Health: Reducing or stopping substance use through counseling can have major health benefits, including better sleep, improved energy levels, and lower risks for substance-related illnesses or accidents.

• Boosting Self-Esteem and Confidence: As clients achieve their recovery goals, they often experience an increase in self-confidence and self-worth, which can encourage them to continue making positive changes in other areas of their lives.