Moral reconation therapy is based on cognitive behavioral therapy, a variation of behavior therapy often used to treat drug abuse and behavioral problems. Moral reconation therapy borrows ideas from various psychological traditions, including Erikson and Loevinger's ego development, Piaget's moral development theories, and the works of Carl Jung.
Moral reconation therapy helps reduce relapse rates by encouraging moral reasoning and the avoidance of impulsive and compulsive response patterns. MRT uses workbooks, assignments and homework exercises to support and facilitate the therapy process.
According to the theory behind MRT, each person develops defensive attitudes and belief patterns throughout their life as a result of stressful life events. In order to reconcile divisions between the true inner self and false outer personality, patients need to understand the intricate links between thoughts, feelings and behavior.
The primary goal of this treatment is to encourage healthy moral development, with patients taught how to avoid impulsive responses and make healthier lifestyle decisions. MRT has changed thousands of lives since its introduction in 1985, and is now used in 49 American states and seven countries around the world.
MRT uses structured group exercises and assignments to encourage positive behavioral growth. Workbooks are typically focused on 12-16 units, with seven treatment steps followed throughout the process.
This form of therapy helps people to develop better self-confidence, frustration tolerance and moral reasoning, while also providing patients with the psychological skills they need to recognize and avoid high risk situations during recovery. This form of therapy has proved useful for members of the treatment resistant population, with MRT available from some correctional institutions.
MRT is based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a "problem focused" and "action oriented" approach that has been used to treat a range of mental health and substance use disorders. CBT has been used to treat anxiety disorders, depression disorder, eating disorders, chronic low back pain, personality disorders, psychosis, schizophrenia and a variety of substance use disorders.
CBT has six distinct phases:
CBT can be applied in group and individual sessions, with moral therapy normally administered in groups to reduce costs.
MRT involves a number of individual steps, with various group and homework exercises used during each stage of treatment. In order to encourage higher powers of moral reasoning, therapists help patients to recognize the limitations of current thinking patterns. The steps are as follows: