Recovery oriented psychotherapy.

Professionals disagree about the role of psychotherapy in the treatment of drug and alcohol problems. This paper defines psychotherapy in terms of the changing ways the professional can assist in the tasks of recovery. These are examined in an evolutionary sequence: dealing with the client in the active abuse cycle; breaking the addiction cycle; consolidating abstinence and changing life styles; addressing recovery-related psychological issues; and undertaking long term psychological exploration. Differing applications of behavior shaping and insight oriented techniques are discussed.