The Importance of Individualized Therapy: Outpatient, Inpatient, and Group Therapy

In this episode of The Mind Itself, Craig James licensed clinical social worker and licensed substance abuse treatment practitioner, joins John Whitbeck. Covering topics from inpatient treatment, outpatient treatment, and substance abuse, this episode takes a deep dive into how individuals have unique treatment plans.  

Craig James started his career as a therapist early on, interested greatly in observing the way that people acted at a young age. After graduating from George Mason University, he grabbed all the opportunities he could. Now versed in outpatient private practice, he’s the co-founder of Insight into Action Therapy & Insight Recovery.  

Insight Into Action  

When Craig started getting into therapy, he knew what he wanted to do. When he had the opportunity to create his center, he based it on the premise that therapy is more than just talking. Diving deeper into helping people connect with themselves and others, Insight into Action aims to turn to talk into the deeper insights that individuals need to recognize to get better.  

The lack of insight is the biggest block for people in understanding what they need to get better. With this therapy being out-patient, exploring the different ways that different treatments can be effective in each unique situation.  

Outpatient vs. Inpatient 

With different treatment options for each person, it’s important to understand the different options of therapy treatments.  

Outpatient treatment keeps the individual in the community and home that they are in. This is the least restrictive measure of care, typically with weekly appointments. The main purpose is to provide care while safely maintaining the individual that needs the help.  

There are other forms of outpatient treatment, like intensive outpatient therapy and partial hospitalization. These are typically more restrictive and harsher than regular outpatient. 

Inpatient treatment is much more intense, usually meaning that the individual is in the hospital and cannot leave. The individual might need to be medicated at this point. This is to provide the stability that they are lacking.  

All treatments are based solely on the individual’s case, family support, the environment, and if they need medications or not.  

Whether it be inpatient or outpatient, group therapy can be overall beneficial for each participant. By sharing experiences, it allows for a group dynamic made of up people with similar experiences to get rid of the stigma because no one is alone in their struggle.  

What A Diagnosis Can Do  

Substance abuse is a mental illness that often gets overlooked. There isn’t a one size fits all when it comes to alcoholics, therefore, therapists assess and set up individualized programs to help people decided what they need to thrive and move forward.  

When it comes to a specific diagnosis, there might be some pushback to accept that. People can be upset and feel hopeless when they have to deal with a mental illness their entire lives. Other people are grateful that they have a name for what they are feeling and can finally start moving on from that.  

The goal for diagnosing and therapy is to get people into a better place and help them embrace the uncomfortableness that they might feel. Normalizing these feelings and not hiding from them, but rather using them as tools to get stronger, is one key highlight that therapists try to apply to their practices.