Therapies · Relapse Prevention · Phoenixville · Philadelphia · Avondale
Relapse prevention runs through every level of care at our Phoenixville, Center City Philadelphia and Avondale offices, and in virtual IOP statewide.
Because PHP and IOP let you live at home, you practice these skills in the actual environment where you will need them — not in a facility hours away from your real life.
Relapse prevention is a structured, cognitive-behavioral approach: identify high-risk situations, understand the thinking that precedes use, and build specific, rehearsed responses.[1]
It starts from the fact that relapse is a process, not a single moment. There are usually weeks of warning signs — isolation, sleep loss, resentment, secret-keeping, drifting from support — before anyone picks up.
So the plan is concrete. Which people, places, times of day and feelings are dangerous for you. What you will do in the first ten minutes of a craving. Who you call. What happens if you do use.
You write it in individual therapy, rehearse it in group, share the relevant parts with family, and revise it as your life changes.
Clinically reviewed by Andrea Kiotis, MA, LPC, CAADC — Clinical Director.
Last updated:
Your relapse prevention plan is a working document built with your therapist across your time in the program.
Your specific people, places, times, feelings and routines — including the ones you would rather not write down.
Urge surfing, delay tactics, breathwork and DBT distress tolerance, practiced until they are automatic.
The pattern that shows up weeks before use, and what you and your family do the moment it appears.
What happens if you do use — a written, non-catastrophic plan for getting straight back into care.
Meetings, sponsor or SMART facilitator, alumni contacts, our alumni support, and your therapist's number.
Naloxone access and education, plus never-use-alone guidance, for anyone at opioid or fentanyl risk.
Want to know if relapse prevention is right for you?
Call (610) 233-4342Choose the right schedule
Start with the support you need now, then step down as recovery becomes more stable.
About 6 hours a day · 5 days a week
Our most structured outpatient level of care, with a full clinical day at our Phoenixville, Philadelphia or Avondale office while you continue living at home.
Explore our PHP program →9–15 hours a week · Day or evening
A flexible in-person schedule for people who need substantial addiction treatment while balancing work, school, family or a step down from PHP.
Explore our IOP program →Secure online care · Statewide access
Clinically appropriate Pennsylvania residents can join structured groups and therapy from home without traveling to one of our three offices.
Explore our statewide virtual IOP →Everyone in our program builds one. It matters most for these situations.
Cognitive-behavioral relapse prevention is among the behavioral treatments NIDA identifies for substance use disorders, with skills that persist after treatment ends.[1]
Mindfulness-based relapse prevention adds craving-tolerance practice, which is why our mindfulness sessions are part of the clinical week rather than an extra.[2]
Relapse is common in chronic conditions and does not mean treatment failed — it means the plan needs adjusting and care needs resuming.[1]
That framing matters: shame is what keeps people from calling back after a lapse, and a lapse handled in days rarely becomes a year.
Want to know if relapse prevention is right for you?
Call (610) 233-4342We track every client from admission to discharge with the BARC-10 recovery capital scale and the PHQ-9 / GAD-7 mental health screens. These are our own program results.
53%
of clients complete our PHP and IOP programs — vs. a national average near 26% for similar outpatient programs.
+9
point average gain on the BARC-10 recovery capital scale from admission to discharge.
-5.95
point average drop in combined PHQ-9 / GAD-7 anxiety and depression scores during treatment.
2215 Kimberton Road, Phoenixville, PA 19460
Serving Phoenixville, Kimberton, Royersford, Collegeville, Spring City, Pottstown, King of Prussia, Norristown, Malvern, Exton, Downingtown and West Chester.
Learn about our Phoenixville office →1026 Winter Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Serving Center City, Chinatown, Washington Square West, Rittenhouse, South Philadelphia, Fishtown, Northern Liberties, University City and the Main Line.
Learn about our Philadelphia office →1284 Gap Newport Pike, Avondale, PA 19311
Serving Avondale, Kennett Square, West Grove, Oxford, Landenberg, Coatesville and the Route 41 corridor of southern Chester County.
Learn about our Avondale office →In person at Phoenixville, Center City Philadelphia and Avondale, and by secure video in our statewide virtual IOP.
relapse prevention is one part of a treatment plan built around you. These are the other approaches your therapist may combine with it.
The backbone of our groups and individual sessions — mapping triggers, thoughts and behavior.
Learn more about CBT — Cognitive Behavioral Therapy →Distress tolerance, emotion regulation and interpersonal skills for high-intensity emotions.
Learn more about DBT — Dialectical Behavior Therapy →Trauma reprocessing for the memories driving cravings, panic and nightmares.
Learn more about EMDR Therapy →Present-focused group model for PTSD and substance use, treated at the same time.
Learn more about Seeking Safety →Brain-based training for focus, sleep and nervous-system regulation in early recovery.
Learn more about Neurofeedback →Two one-on-one sessions a week with your own therapist — not one a month.
Learn more about Individual Therapy →Insurance accepted
Don't see your plan? Call (610) 233-4342 — we'll check your benefits.
Need detox or inpatient first?
If you need medical detox or a residential stay before outpatient care, call us — we'll help coordinate placement with trusted partners and plan your step-down into our PHP or IOP when you're ready.
Yes. Call (610) 233-4342. Returning after a lapse is expected in chronic condition care, and getting back quickly is what limits the damage.
No. It means the plan needs adjusting and the level of care may need to change. It is information, not a verdict.
We build that plan in family sessions, calmly and in advance, so nobody is improvising during a crisis.
Yes. Any client at opioid or fentanyl risk gets overdose-prevention education and guidance on obtaining naloxone.
Aftercare planning, alumni support, and referrals to outside therapy, psychiatry and meetings — arranged before your last day, not after.
Want to know if relapse prevention is right for you?
Call (610) 233-4342Citations link to the original government and research sources. This page is educational and is not medical advice.
Confidential assessment, insurance verified quickly, and aftercare arranged before you finish. Our phones are answered 24/7.