Life skills training is a drug abuse and violence prevention program that teaches our clients to live healthy and happy sober lives outside of treatment. The program promotes healthy alternatives to risky behavior. It also teaches our clients how to resist the pressure to turn back to using alcohol or drugs. Life skills training can also help clients improve their self-confidence and cope with anxiety. Our clients are particularly vulnerable to peer pressure and outside influences while their bodies and minds are still growing and adapting to the world around them without using drugs and alcohol. At Ethan Crossing of Columbus, we often incorporate life skills training in our addiction therapy programs, so that every individual receives all of the support they need for lifelong recovery.
What Does a Life Skills Training Program Near Columbus Offer?
The life skills training program consists of three major components. Clients who are exposed to these teachings are better prepared to navigate their way through their new, sober lifestyle. The three components are:
- General social skills – Clients develop the necessary skills to communicate effectively. They also learn to avoid misunderstandings, reduce shyness, handle social requests, and use verbal and nonverbal assertiveness skills to make good decisions. Furthermore, they can refuse requests, initiate and participate in conversations, and make choices that do not include passivity or aggression when in a difficult situation.
- Personal self-management skills – These skills teach clients how to take a look at their self-image and how it affects their behavior. They will learn to analyze problem situations and, before making a decision, weigh the consequences of any alternative solutions. They’ll learn to set goals and keep track of their progress. Furthermore, they’ll begin to examine everyday decisions and how others influence them.
- Drug resistance skills – These skills help young people challenge common misconceptions about alcohol and drugs, including tobacco. While being coached and through practice, they will learn practical ATOD (alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use) resistance skills when confronted by peers and media influence to use alcohol, tobacco, or drugs.
Each of these skills can be essential to long-term sobriety.
How to Implement the Training
We implement these skills in a therapeutic setting or an alternative that is still conducive to learning. The clients can learn life skills training in conjunction with a variety of therapeutic modalities, including:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy
- Dialectical behavior therapy
- Family therapy
- Anger management therapy
- Relapse prevention therapy
The unique design of our treatment program allows clients to learn new skills in a variety of environments. Our team can teach collaborative and developmentally appropriate learning strategies via discussion, lecture, practice, and coaching. The goal is to enhance our clients’ self-confidence, self-esteem, and ability to resist peer and media influences and how they make decisions.
Reach Out to Ethan Crossing of Columbus Today
Life skills training (LST) is a unique approach to support our clients when they are in a vulnerable stage of recovery. They are constantly bombarded with advertising and peer pressure to experiment with tobacco, drugs, or alcohol. At this point, they are at high risk of returning to substance use due to the cravings and temptation they don’t know how to manage yet. By acquiring a new set of skills to help them navigate these turgid waters, our therapists can guide them through the peaks and valleys of the recovery process.
At Ethan Crossing of Columbus, we take pride in our focus on family engagement. We involve each client in family therapy sessions that bolster the support network that is critical to assisting their loved ones through the challenges of sobriety. To learn more about the benefits of life skills training, please contact Ethan Crossing of Columbus today at 855.476.0078.