Substance use disorder can impact anyone, including military veterans, survivors of physical or sexual abuse, and those simply looking for a way to cope with negative thoughts and stress.
If you or another individual is struggling with addiction, know there is hope. At Gateway Foundation in Illinois, we provide evidence-based treatment programs designed to help clients overcome addiction. Browse this guide to learn more about our clinical service programs and comprehensive recovery approaches.
Whether you’re seeking addiction therapy services for yourself or someone you love, Gateway Foundation’s clinical services in Illinois use powerful, tried-and-true recovery approaches supported by complex research and evidence.
Our therapy programs help clients identify the underlying sources and triggers of their addictions. They can discover healthy, positive and creative coping techniques to express themselves rather than turning to substance use.
At Gateway, we strive to provide every patient with a safe, nonjudgmental and caring environment. Our facility is a place where clients can openly express their feelings, receiving the help and support they need for personal growth and recovery.
Each of Gateway’s programs for clinical addiction treatment involves a unique approach to recovery. While they operate in slightly different manners, they all aim to help clients find healthy outlets for their emotions, build better habits each day, and overcome the thoughts, behaviors and actions influencing harmful addiction patterns.
Explore the different services and programs we offer below.
Traumatic life experiences affect the mental, emotional and physical well-being of children and adults alike. Some traumatic situations that may require therapy include:
These types of events can lead to complex trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Our Trauma-Informed Therapy services aim to help people understand how their traumatic experiences influence their behaviors, such as turning to substances. We strive to help them process and overcome their trauma and behaviors.
Our Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) program helps people manage the emotions affecting their behavior. This approach is an important step in managing addiction or mental health disorders. Recovery often starts with identifying and addressing your thoughts, emotions and behaviors encouraging addiction.
Our specialized program focuses on comprehensive body and mind healing through a customized treatment plan. These plans include evidence-based therapies and holistic treatments designed to drive powerful results and help you succeed.
Through our Mindfulness-Based Sobriety program, we encourage people to ponder their current emotions instead of dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. Mindfulness-based recovery is about accepting your present circumstances and focusing on the here and now. This mindset can be valuable for those who rely on substances or internalize stress in intense situations.
We also help clients learn how to identify and healthily cope with triggers that often spark substance use. We ask them to concentrate on these feelings instead of pushing them away. Once you’ve accepted your loneliness, anger, stress or frustration, you can identify the root cause and start to overcome those feelings.
Gateway’s 12-Step Facilitation program uses a highly researched, evidence-based curriculum to help clients reduce and overcome substance use. As part of this curriculum, we encourage individuals to attend 12-step meetings at our facility and in the community. Our counselors teach them how to incorporate this 12-step plan into their recovery.
Attending these meetings is also a great way to build relationships and share experiences with others in similar circumstances. Members can lean on one another for support and guidance, as well as hold each other accountable.
Clients seeking help with drug or alcohol addictions can enroll in our 12-Step Support program. Backed by research and proven methods, this therapy uses our 12-step facilitation model and aims to offer lifelong support.
This includes attending meetings in both our treatment center and the community. A counselor guides attendees in implementing this process into their personal recovery journeys.
By enrolling in this program, clients can gain valuable tools and resources to return to the life they desire. They also learn to face and overcome challenging situations with a relapse prevention plan.
Our Relapse Prevention program involves holistic treatments designed to keep clients from returning to drugs or alcohol after being sober. Understanding substance triggers plays a significant role in relapse prevention. Triggers might include being in certain places or seeing people you associate with previous substance use or alcohol misuse. The stressors of everyday life can also cause someone to relapse.
Remember that relapsing doesn’t mean recovery has failed. Some people may require a different or additional treatment method to reach their recovery goals. Our relapse prevention program uses a cognitive behavioral approach. Clients pinpoint their addiction triggers and work with a mental health specialist to manage them.
Gateway’s Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) program aims to help people address the beliefs, values and thought patterns influencing substance use and addiction. Modifying this mindset to be more rational can result in healthier choices and behaviors.
CBT is a goal-focused form of psychotherapy that provides structure for patients, helping them identify negative thoughts and feelings about themselves to change their behaviors.
Our Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) program is designed to help clients accept and embrace their thoughts, feelings and emotions during their recovery journeys. By learning to accept hurtful behaviors from the past, sadness or the reality of the present, they can start to concentrate on and pursue a better future.
These sessions encourage people to choose their own direction in life, from small choices throughout the day to major life changes. They start to learn that while they can’t place blame for their actions, behaviors and choices, they can determine the direction of their life.
Once they’ve accepted their reality and established their direction, the next step is taking action. They can create a concrete plan to work toward new values and enhance their lifestyle. This could be exercising to reduce stress or healthier dieting to control mood swings. Whatever the goals you have in mind on your road to sobriety, we want to help you get there.
Our Motivational Interviewing Therapy program is geared primarily toward those who aren’t totally on board with the recovery process yet. We use an engaging approach to get the client directly involved in their recovery by focusing on their future.
Motivational interviewing might prompt them to think about how their substance addiction affects their health, career, loved ones and personal identity. We also help them seek the positives of sobriety, such as financial benefits and better relationships.
Gateway’s Coping Skills Therapy program teaches clients how to effectively cope with stressors, changes and triggers during addiction recovery. This can help them avoid relapse, build their confidence, improve their overall physical and mental health, and make recovery more rewarding.
Positive coping mechanisms can help soothe and distract you from negative thoughts, build motivation to solve the problem and take action to do so. Some examples of healthy coping skills include:
Both Group and Individual Therapy play an important role in the recovery process. Individual therapy helps clients find the truth about their substance or alcohol addictions. Our individual therapy approach combines holistic and evidence-based treatments to help clients address the root of their behavioral patterns and addiction.
Group therapy connects individuals with similar experiences, providing a safe space for them to open up to others. Addiction often causes feelings of loneliness and isolation. Attending group therapy helps clients realize they aren’t alone in their experiences.
While each person has a unique story, they share similar circumstances and goals. They can empathize and find opportunities to help one another. Our individual and group sessions may use slightly different curriculums, but they’re both centered around strong communication and self-realization.
Through our Therapeutic Recreational Activities, clients can rediscover their enjoyment of different passions and hobbies. Recreational therapy is designed to teach them self-care, encourage positive lifestyle changes after treatment, and promote physical, mental and emotional healing.
These activities help build skills in social interaction, stress management and problem-solving. As clients engage in these physical recreational activities, they begin to rekindle old interests or find a new creative outlet.
We personalize recreational therapy sessions to clients’ unique needs and long-term recovery goals. Gateway Foundation offers the following therapeutic recreation activities for participants:
Our treatment sessions offer various benefits for physical, mental, emotional and social well-being. From customized recovery approaches to community-building opportunities, there are many reasons to consider Gateway Foundation when you need clinical services for addiction in Illinois. Below are some advantages you or a loved one may find from attending our sessions.
Addiction recovery improves your body and mind’s overall health. Drug and alcohol misuse is extremely taxing — physically, mentally and emotionally. It can weaken the body, impair your judgment, interfere with sleep and cause a variety of long-term health problems.
Gateway’s clinical treatment programs offer many health-related benefits to reduce drug and alcohol cravings, including:
These approaches help recover valuable nutrients in the body to boost your overall mood and health. When you no longer have a desire for these substances, you’ll notice significant changes in the way you look, feel and act.
A solid support network makes a world of difference in your recovery and healing journey. Gateway’s therapy programs offer a close-knit community of counselors, staff, and people with similar struggles and experiences. Our sessions aim to instill a sense of community, connection and support. This is vital for someone who is overcoming addiction and needs a helping hand along the way.
No one should have to battle addiction alone. Gateway Foundation can help you or your loved one build valuable, long-term bonds and relationships with others.
Our clinical therapy programs provide clear-cut structures and curriculums for addiction recovery. Creating a solid plan and routine is an important first step toward sobriety, and we help clients do just that. We encourage daily habit-building, productive activities and outlets, and regular meetings and sessions.
Over time, these strategies help clients break self-destructive patterns and habits. They can continue applying these healthy practices to their everyday life post-treatment — that way, they can maintain sobriety and continue to live a more enriching life. For these reasons, structure and organization are valuable components in addiction recovery.
Having a positive support system is crucial for healing. Fighting addiction on your own can be difficult, counterproductive and risky. It’s important to surround yourself with an uplifting community that understands what you’re going through — and can hold you accountable when needed.
When you attend therapy sessions at Gateway, you’ll have regular progress checkups with compassionate individuals. Rather than judge you, our staff members and fellow group participants are there to provide help and support. You’ll have people to rely on through your good and bad days, setbacks and milestones.
Accountability is beneficial in addiction recovery. Our Gateway community can offer the support and accountability you need to keep going and achieve your goals.
At Gateway Foundation, we understand and acknowledge that every client’s situation is different. They all have unique backstories, circumstances and needs requiring a specialized therapy approach. That’s why we customize our recovery programs and treatment routes to accommodate each individual.
You can choose the appropriate therapy programs for a loved one or yourself, or our skilled team can help you select the right path and tailor it to these needs. Whether motivational interviewing, trauma therapy, recreational activities or another one of our clinical programs, we can help you find the right customized approach.
You’ve learned about our therapy programs and the benefits of pursuing treatment with Gateway, but you might have some other questions about our services or addiction in general. Below are the answers to some FAQs that may help you.
Generally, clinical treatments involve direct patient care and diagnosis, while nonclinical services do not involve patient treatment. Clinical addiction treatment involves licensed clinical and medical professionals that can help clients detox from substances, for instance. Detoxing on your own without medical supervision can be dangerous, as withdrawal effects like dehydration and seizures can occur.
Clinical addiction treatment also uses mental and psychological approaches — like cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy and mindfulness-based sobriety — led by experienced counselors.
Conversely, nonclinical recovery involves applying what you’ve learned in treatment to real-life scenarios. This could be trying new coping mechanisms and recreational activities like relaxation techniques, painting or going to the gym. Consistency, transparency, communication and support from coaches and peers alike can make this process easier.
Because addiction is a substance use disorder, United States health insurance policies are required to cover some type of addiction treatment. Just keep in mind there are many types of health insurance providers, and some may have certain restrictions on coverage. That’s why it’s important to speak with your provider and read their policy in full before pursuing therapy.
Overall, however, you can safely assume you’ll have some degree of addiction treatment coverage if you have any form of health insurance. Gateway accepts all major insurance plans.
Clients can use their insurance for various types of rehabilitation programs and therapies at Gateway. During your admissions process, we’ll gather your insurance information and explain what your policy covers, ensuring you get what coverage and services are available to you.
Knowing and recognizing the symptoms of substance use disorder can help you determine whether you or a loved one should pursue treatment. Here are some common signs of alcohol or drug addiction to look out for:
You should also watch for behavioral changes, such as:
The warning signs of substance misuse can also vary by gender. For instance, men might experience fertility issues, testicle shrinkage or using drugs to enhance their mood. Meanwhile, women may experience drastic weight loss, male-pattern baldness or uncharacteristic body hair growth. They’re also more likely to have panic attacks with certain substances.
If you notice any of these symptoms in yourself or a loved one, it may be time to seek treatment. Feel free to browse our FAQ page if you have more questions about addiction warning signs or the services we offer.
If you’re seeking compassionate, clinical addiction services in Chicago and surrounding areas, Gateway Foundation can help you or your loved one pave the road to recovery.
As a recognized leader in evidence-based treatment, our experts in addiction medicine implement innovative methods drawn from research- and science-backed models. We offer a variety of cost-effective programs and proven results for patients at every stage of recovery. We’ll also provide ongoing support and resources after you complete therapy — our Gateway team is with you for life.
You don’t have to let addiction take over, and you certainly don’t have to face it solo. Our therapy sessions can offer the support, encouragement and accountability you or your loved one needs. Contact us today to get started or learn more about our services.
