The one-on-one setting is easily one of the most common forms of therapy there is, so much so that sources estimate that 95% of the resources in private practice go to individual therapy. A mere 5% goes to group therapy.
But there’s a reason why individual counseling is so popular. Read on to learn more about the benefits, the experience, the effectiveness, and how to find the right individual therapy provider right here in Boca Raton.
Individual Therapy at a Glance
Individual psychotherapy (talk therapy) is a psychological procedure that relies heavily on verbal interactions between a qualified professional and the client.
Who Is It For
Generally speaking, it may be time to seek therapy if there’s a mental issue interfering with your daily life. You may want to consider therapy if the issue is causing you distress, too. Note that distress here can refer to negative emotions, thoughts, or behavior patterns.
Psychotherapy sessions can help with mental health conditions like:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Bipolar disorder (BPD)
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Eating disorders
Role in Addiction Treatment
Treating a substance use disorder often requires a multifaceted team, with different healthcare professionals tackling different aspects of the disease. So, you might see a patient receiving medications, group therapy, and individual behavioral therapies all as part of the treatment plan.
The therapy here helps the person identify and change the problematic thought patterns that fuel their addiction. It can also help them develop coping skills that will come in handy when they’re out of rehab and dealing with day-to-day triggers.
Core Benefits
When done right, individual therapy creates a safe, judgment-free space for opening up. Because the therapist sees one client at a time, they can tailor the process to their unique needs as well. This can be a bit tricky for group therapy facilitators.
What to Expect From Your Individual Therapy Sessions
Therapy sessions are often individualized. So, your experience may not be an exact match to other clients of the same provider. But let’s go over some questions you may have.
Who’s Going to Be Your Provider?
A number of mental health professionals can assess conditions and provide therapy, including psychologists, counselors, therapists, and clinical social workers.
The therapist, clinician, and counselor titles can all be awarded to master’s-level healthcare professionals, as long as they’re trained in mental health and therapeutic techniques.
Plus, clinical social workers with a master’s in social work (MSW) can evaluate mental health and use therapeutic techniques in sessions.
If, however, you’re to be prescribed medications, you’d need to see a psychologist or a primary care physician who specializes in mental health care.
To qualify as a psychologist, your provider needs more than a master’s degree, though. A doctoral degree in a relevant speciality, such as clinical psychology or counseling, is essential. They also need to pass training in clinical interviews and psychological evaluation.
What Is the Setting Like?
Individual therapy, by default, is a one-on-one treatment. However, there are a few possible settings for this session format. For instance, you may have your sessions in a private practice or one of Palm Beach’s community health centers.
It’s also common for people to have their individual counseling in a substance abuse treatment center as part of their addiction recovery plan.
In this case, the therapy can be included in a residential treatment program, in which patients stay in the facility 24/7. Alternatively, it can be offered as an outpatient service for those who don’t need round-the-clock monitoring.
Note: It’s also possible to have virtual sessions with your therapist through telehealth services, which is often a more convenient option.
How Long Does It Take?
On average, therapy sessions last 45–120 minutes.
The overall duration of your treatment can vary based on several factors. Your diagnosis and the severity of your symptoms are just two of these factors.
Even if we keep the condition and symptom intensity out of the equation, two patients may need a different number of sessions purely because of their individual responsiveness to treatment.
That said, the American Psychological Association (APA) recommends up to 30 sessions of prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD. The APA also reports that about half of all patients can see improvement after 15–20 sessions.
What Techniques Can the Therapy Provider Use?
Depending on the case, your therapist may resort to any of the following forms of therapy:
- Psychodynamic therapy based on psychoanalysis
- Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT)
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), which is an action-oriented psychotherapy
Is It Really Effective?
Therapy isn’t a magic fix. It can’t, for instance, magically cure your addiction and eliminate any and all cravings. It can, however, help you develop healthy coping skills.
What Is Expected of You?
As we’ve mentioned, individual counseling is basically talk therapy. And since it’s just you and your therapist in the room, you’ll be expected to do most of the talking.
Initially, you may find it hard to open up and talk about painful experiences. However, a good therapist will help you feel more comfortable as time goes by.
During the first session, your therapist will likely focus on gathering basic information. They’ll want to know more about your physical and mental health. Of course, they’ll also inquire about the main concerns and symptoms bringing you to therapy.
Later, your provider might assign you “homework.” This is just one way of getting you to build on the topics discussed during the sessions and practice your newly acquired coping skills.
Individual Therapy vs. Group Therapy
Group therapy may not be as common as individual therapy, but it’s still a valid option. After all, experts refer to group therapy as a “triple-E” treatment—it’s efficient, effective, and equivalent to individual therapy in many cases.
Healthcare professionals can decide if you’re the right candidate for group therapy. For many patients, the treatment plan actually combines both therapeutic interventions.
That being said, here’s a quick comparison of the two options:
| Individual Therapy | Group Therapy | |
| Private Practice Share | 95% | 5% |
| Setting | One client at a time | 6–12 people |
| Common Models | Contingency management, CBT, motivational interviewing, and integrative | Psychoeducational, CBT, support, skill development, and interpersonal |
| Main Perks | One-on-one attention, stronger therapeutic alliance, and flexible scheduling | Peer support, broader therapeutic alliance, diversity, self-awareness nurturing, and accountability |
| Main Drawbacks | Lack of peer interaction, cost | Less flexibility, not appropriate for certain personality types |
| Available in Boca Raton | Yes | Yes |
| Offered by RBHN | Yes | Yes |
| May be Covered by Insurance | Yes | Yes |
What to Look for in a Therapy Provider
Finding the “right” therapist or counselor can be tricky. You need to consider qualifications, confidentiality, logistics, speciality, affordability, and more.
Here are a few things to look for:
Extensive Experience and Credentials
The last thing you want is to end up with an unqualified or unlicensed therapy provider. Choosing a reliable treatment center helps because they do the vetting for you.
But you can always verify the provider’s license info with the Department of Health. Some of the Florida-issued licenses to look for are:
- Certified Addiction Counselor (CAC)
- Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
At Recreate Behavioral Health Network (RBHN), our medical teams are led by doctors who are board-certified in psychiatry and addiction medicine. Leading our clinical teams are master’s-level professionals.
Strong Therapeutic Alliance
Research shows that stronger therapeutic alliances (the relationship between therapist and client) are associated with less distress during treatment, especially for young adults. So, it’s imperative to pick a therapist you can trust and collaborate with.
To assess the strength of this alliance, ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you feel comfortable talking during the one-on-one sessions?
- Do you engage often with what your therapy provider says?
- Do I ever feel judged during the sessions?
Assessing the alliance won’t be easy when you’re first starting therapy. You may have to give it a few sessions.
Notably, many of the RBHN staff are in recovery themselves and fully understand the challenges that come with the early phases of sobriety. They create safe, judgment-free zones and help clients get through the first stages as comfortably as possible.
Proximity and Flexible Scheduling
Besides the qualifications and therapist-client relationship, it helps to think about the logistics of it all. Picking a nearby provider can make it easier to stick to the treatment schedule.
And if you have plenty of work/family responsibilities to tackle, you may want to consider individual counseling in an outpatient or partial hospitalization setting. This way, you can plan your sessions around your everyday life.
RBHN is headquartered in Boca Raton, but we’re also a multi-state network, with treatment centers in New York, New Jersey, Ohio, and Florida. Get in touch with our admissions team so that they can match you with the right level of care in a facility closest to you.
Insurance Coverage
Before you settle on a provider, make sure to verify that their individual therapy services are covered by your health insurance provider. For RBHN programs, simply fill out a form for a confidential benefits check, and we’ll get back to you.
Speciality That Matches Your Needs
Not all psychiatrists and therapists have the same experiences. Providers may focus on adolescents, addiction medicine, or other specialties.
So, consider the reason you need individual counseling in the first place and pick a provider with real-life experience in that particular concern.
How to Find Individual Therapists and Counselors in Boca Raton
To find reputable therapy providers near you, consider using the Department of Health’s license lookup tool or browsing listings on Psychology Today.
Alternatively, you can get in touch with the RBHN team to see if our therapeutic interventions are a good fit for your needs.
Why Trust Recreate Behavioral Health Network
Over the years, the team of dedicated experts at RBHN has helped thousands of patients recover. Some left us glowing video testimonials, while others shared their experience on platforms like Google Reviews, where our Boca Raton center maintains a 4.9-star rating.
Here’s why many trust RBHN with their substance abuse and mental health therapy needs:
- We’re accredited by the Joint Commission.
- We offer a wide range of therapeutic interventions.
- Our treatment team includes experienced certified therapists, psychiatrists, and licensed clinicians.
- Our therapy programs accept many insurance plans and other forms of payment.
Find Mental Health Care Closer to Home
Whether you need help finding a therapist or just have some questions regarding individual counseling, don’t hesitate to reach out. Our team is here to hear you out, answer your questions, and direct you to the right treatment option.
