Individual therapy can be costly, but it can greatly improve your chances of quitting.
(CORBIS)
"Sure, medication is effective at curbing withdrawal symptoms," says Bruce Christiansen, PhD, lead researcher at the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention (UW-CTRI). "But it still takes a great deal of effort and behavior modification to quit smoking."
Though the USPHS meta-analysis found that group therapy and phone counseling increase success rates, experts say that those methods can't compare to a one-on-one session that is tailored specifically to each patient.
"Individual therapy is much more beneficial," says Patricia Summers, a counselor at the Cleveland Clinic’s Tobacco Treatment Center. "Patients need a plan that is customized just for them. That is something you can’t get on the Internet or phone."
Summers also notes that one-on-one therapy is helpful for smokers who feel uncomfortable opening up in a group setting. "It is just like a doctor’s visit," she says. "They don’t have to worry about their pride and they can openly voice their frustrations."
That was certainly the case with Arrie Thomas, 57, of Cleveland. Her individual therapy session at the Cleveland Clinic was instrumental in helping her quit. "I had too much pride to go to counseling when I had tried to quit in the past—I wanted to do it on my own," she says. "But counseling was really what I needed. It helped me realize what behaviors and patterns were causing me to want cigarettes."
What happens at an individual counseling session?
It is difficult to know exactly what to expect in a one-on-one session, says Doug Jorenby, PhD, director of clinical services at UW-CTRI. "There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach," he says. "Every program is different."
In general, Jorenby says, the first order of business is typically to agree on a quit date and discuss how to prepare for it. "We talk about how important it is to get rid of all cigarette stashes, ashtrays, and matches," he says. Some counselors may also suggest informing your friends and family about your decision and enlisting their support.
Once a quit date is set, counselors usually ask smokers to focus on the behaviors and stressors that put them at risk of lighting up. One way to do this is to have smokers visually walk through their day and discuss when and where they get the urge to smoke. Some counselors, like Summers, may recommend keeping track of this in a diary.
"Smoking is an embedded part of their lives," says Iyaad Hasan, director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Tobacco Treatment Center. "Counseling can help change that by focusing on the situations or emotions that influence people to smoke."
Thomas says that visually going through her day made her realize what actions, such as talking on the phone, triggered her to light up. "It helped open up my eyes," she says.
