Seeking Safety Therapy for PTSD and Substance Use
Seeking Safety is an evidence-based therapy that helps you manage PTSD and substance use together. At Granite Recovery Centers in NH and ME, you’ll learn simple skills to stay grounded, avoid relapse, and feel more in control.
Accreditations for Quality Care
What Is Seeking Safety?
Seeking Safety begins with a simple but essential focus: helping you feel safe first. This present-focused version of cognitive-behavioral therapy supports people living with PTSD and co-occurring substance use disorders. In Seeking Safety, you practice coping skills that keep you safe in the moment, manage triggers, and rebuild confidence.
You never have to revisit or explain painful memories to benefit. Sessions focus on practical steps you can use right now to feel steadier, calmer, and more in control.
How Seeking Safety Helps With Trauma and Addiction
Research shows a strong link between PTSD and substance use. In one large US study, nearly half of older adults with PTSD also had a substance use disorder. Alcohol misuse was present in more than half of those individuals. PTSD and addiction often fuel each other.
When someone feels overwhelmed or out of control, focusing on the past can increase distress. Seeking Safety keeps the work in the present, helping reduce symptoms without pushing you faster than feels safe.
A Skills-Based, Trauma-Informed Approach
Sessions are structured and predictable, which helps create calm and trust. Each session usually focuses on one clear topic, such as grounding, boundaries, or managing strong emotions.
Seeking Safety supports four main goals:
- Recognizing your triggers
- Managing emotions without substances
- Building healthy habits
- Strengthening personal boundaries
What You Learn in Seeking Safety
Seeking Safety gives you coping tools you can use right away. You and your therapist work together to notice how stress shows up in daily life and practice skills that reduce it.
You may learn:
Grounding techniques for stress, anxiety, and dissociation
Skills for building safe, healthy relationships
Goal-setting and relapse-prevention plans
Strategies for coping without substances
Healthy communication skills
Emotional regulation tools
Why Choose Granite Recovery Centers
You’ll work with licensed clinicians who understand PTSD, substance use, and trauma-informed treatment.
You receive integrated care for trauma symptoms and substance use, so you can move forward with stability.
Calm, structured settings with mindfulness, nature walks, and wellness activities help you feel grounded in treatment.
You can use Seeking Safety skills through detox, residential treatment, PHP, IOP, outpatient care, and sober living.
Realistic Goals of Seeking Safety
Seeking Safety doesn’t process trauma memories or replace long-term trauma therapy. Instead, it builds a strong foundation of coping skills, self-respect, and choice so healing can happen at your pace. For many people, it becomes a steady starting point for moving forward, one step at a time.
Manage Symptoms
You develop grounding techniques, emotional regulation tools, and safety planning strategies that help you stay centered throughout daily life.
Reduce Relapse Risk
By addressing trauma and substance use together, you gain skills to manage cravings, stress, and emotional triggers in healthier ways.
Build Strength for Deeper Work
Seeking Safety prepares you for trauma processing therapies, such as CBT or EMDR, if you choose to pursue them in the future.
Who Benefits From Seeking Safety?
- PTSD or trauma symptoms like anxiety, nightmares, flashbacks, or emotional overwhelm
- Substance use related to trauma, such as using substances to cope or numb emotions
- Co-occurring mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder
Reviews and Success Stories
Our full continuum of care includes medical detox for clients who do not need medical intervention, are not in danger to themselves and are capable of self-evacuation in an emergency. Clients will transition from detox to our residential treatment center, partial hospitalization program and intensive outpatient program.
– Laurie S.
Amadeus saved my life. He is a great friend of mine, and when I was struggling,
he drove 2½ hours through a snow and ice storm to pick me up and get me to treatment.
The man goes above and beyond for his own recovery, Green Mtn clients, his co-workers,
and the people in his life in general.
As the alumni coordinator, he ensures that Green Mtn graduates and alumni have fun events
to look forward to after they leave treatment. I can’t say enough about how important he
was in helping me through one of the worst times of my life. Green Mtn Treatment Center
is, in my opinion, the best place for recovery and drug and alcohol treatment in New England.
Huge shoutout to Kendra Darling and Matt Polovick, who were also instrumental in my recovery.
All the 12-step coordinators are dedicated, compassionate individuals who truly change lives,
including mine.
– Mitch C.
Where to start? Green mountain has a revolutionary approach to substance and alcohol rehabilitation. They have options many other rehabs do not. Mostly they offer love and compassion as well as community, which are not very common in the rehab industry. This place is a godsend, I wouldn’t be where I am today without it. I owe everything to this facility. Thank you to the staff and clients for saving my mind, body, and spirit. 🤍🤍🤍
– Nikki S.
The green mountain exceeded all my expectations when it comes to treatment, i went in hopeless with zero self confidence. This program allowed me to get back on my feet and teach me the spiritual tools to return back to the real world with the confidence I needed. No one said this was easy but its worth it, if you’re feeling like you may need help with addiction waste no more time and call Green Mountain!
– Lisa N.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Seeking Safety require talking about traumatic memories?
No. Seeking Safety is present-focused and doesn’t involve retelling trauma details. You’ll focus on coping skills and safety instead.
Is Seeking Safety effective for both PTSD and addiction?
Yes. This therapy teaches practical tools for emotional regulation, stability, and relapse-prevention planning.
How long does Seeking Safety take?
Programs vary. Many people learn core skills over several weeks and continue to build on them as part of ongoing recovery.
Can I use Seeking Safety with other therapies?
Yes. Granite Recovery Centers integrates Seeking Safety with CBT, DBT, MI, and other evidence-based treatments.
Is Seeking Safety available in PHP, IOP, and outpatient?
Yes. You can access Seeking Safety across multiple levels of care in our New Hampshire and Maine locations.
Ready to Start?
If you’re ready to learn safe, everyday tools for trauma and addiction recovery, our team can help. Seeking Safety is available across our New Hampshire and Maine locations as part of a trauma-informed treatment plan that fits your needs.