How Does NorthStar Transitions’ Cutting-Edge Approach to Addiction Recovery Set Them Apart From Other Treatment Centers?

NorthStar Transitions is a drug treatment program located in Boulder, Colorado that treats its clients with the goal of long term recovery. Through the use of experiential therapy alongside more mainstream methods of addiction treatment, NorthStar offers its clients ways to move past their addictions and into their new lives of sobriety.NorthStar prides itself on its evidence-based clinical practices. These practices offer proper care and necessary treatment options for those going through addiction and mental illness. By using research-based modalities and behavioral therapies, residents are offered the best chance at long term recovery. Scientifically-proven modern approaches to addiction treatment set NorthStar apart from other treatment programs in the state.

Experiential Therapy

Experiential therapy can be defined as a grouping of several different therapies that recreate real-life experiences, allowing feelings, emotions, beliefs, and attitudes that are considered to be subconscious, to rise up to a level of awareness. Types of experiential therapy include: cognitive-behavioral therapy, Gestalt therapy, dynamic therapy, animal-assisted therapy, recreational therapy, art therapy, music therapy, adventure therapy, wilderness therapy, and others.Throughout all levels of care at NorthStar Transitions, from residential to outpatient, experiential therapy is used to take clients out of their normal daily routine. It encourages them to communicate and be more open with their peers in the program as well as with their therapist. Patients begin to break down their own walls and practice the coping mechanisms they have learned in rehab and counseling, through experience rather than through a facilitated group or lecture.These skills include:

• Overcoming fear
• Trusting others
• Working with others
• Providing and listening to positive feedback
• Boosting self-confidence
• Relying on others
• Asking for help

What Happens During & After Activities?

During and after the activities associated with experiential therapy, clients process what happened with the therapist and other participants in the group. Feelings are also discussed during and after the activities to maintain awareness. Participants are able to internalize the experience and evaluate the skills they learned and used. All of this is based on listening to and understanding the experiences and perspectives of others.

General Examples of Activities

• Yoga
• Group activities
• Acupuncture
• Outdoor activities
• Guided meditation

Wide Range of Treatment Programs

NorthStar opens a wide range of treatment programs to help clients at every stage of recovery. Each program includes modern approaches to addiction treatment such as the experiential therapy treatments mentioned above. Here is an overview of the programs offered:

• Detox
• Dual Diagnosis Treatment
• Women’s & Men’s Residential Treatment1. This offers a boutique recovery experience that allows a group of clients to go through evidence-based therapies, life-skills training, holistic support, and nutritious meal planning.2. It takes place in a lodge surrounded by the beautiful scenery Colorado has to offer and provides a tranquil place for healing and recovery.
• Day Treatment1. This step comes after residential treatment and only partial hospitalization is necessary.2. This can be done in group sessions or individual therapy sessions and typically lasts 1-4 weeks.3. For this step, clients typically stay in their own homes or in a nearby sober living home.
• Intensive Outpatient (IOP)1. During this step, clients begin to re-engage with their daily routines such as work, school, and family life. 2. Therapy or psychiatric sessions continue as needed, usually lasting 6-12 weeks. Clients continue to stay in their own home or a local sober living home for this step.
• Outpatient Program1. The last step with the smallest time commitment is the outpatient program. Here, clients are more secure in their recovery and are still working to maintain their recovery.2. Clients will see their individual therapist, family therapist, and/or psychiatrist as needed.

Constant Updates to Treatments

NorthStar prides itself on its modern approaches to addiction treatment, and it is constantly updating its practices for even better chances at long term sobriety for its clients. The goal is for all of the care techniques to help clients interrupt their daily schedules to help them work through traumas, mental illnesses, and addictions.This modern approach helps gradually build the client’s self-esteem and independence. This helps prepare them for life after NorthStar. By constantly updating their treatment techniques and having staff from a wide range of backgrounds such as art, music, exercise, mindfulness training, and more, the experience provided at NorthStar is unparalleled and cannot be matched elsewhere.Another benefit of treatment at NorthStar is its ability to offer cutting-edge treatments at a lower cost. This means it is a more tangible option for a wider range of clients who are seeking treatment.Other treatment centers can help their clients and may even be highly rated. However, some use outdated vocabulary and techniques to help their clients, which doesn’t work anymore. There are modern approaches that are better at ensuring long term sobriety.

For mental health and addiction treatment, modern approaches can help a larger client base and help ensure long term sobriety. NorthStar Transitions in Boulder, Colorado does this by offering experiential therapy techniques that aim to treat the whole person. Clients are able to overcome their own perceived limitations and traumas by interrupting their daily routines and patterns. Addiction is treated alongside co-occurring mental illness to better help the clients. To get a better sense of experiential therapy and the programs offered at NorthStar, contact them today at (303) 558-6400. Better healing starts now!