Codependency For Dummies

by Darlene Lancer

Individual therapy is focused on you, not your partner. Sometimes people come and want to complain about their partner or the addict and convince the therapist why that person is so frustrating or in the wrong. They really want their pain to be heard and witnessed, but it doesn’t help them to grow or change. A support group would be a good place to do that. Often it takes time to help them focus on themselves. If you’re ready to do that, you can make the most of individual therapy. It can help you individuate from your family and build a solid, confident Self by understanding your behavior, beliefs, thinking, and history in a way that’s more concentrated and specific to you than in a Twelve Step meeting. You can also learn to problem solve, raise your self-esteem, accomplish goals, and resolve issues from your past. Therapy is particularly important if you have suffered from trauma or abuse, or have a mental illness or a mood disorder, such as depression or anxiety, which is not relieved by going to meetings.