Reviewed byKsenia Voronova, MDPsychotherapist · updated 11.11.2026
Key facts
- ICD-10 code
- F10–F19
- Who provides it
- a psychotherapist (medical doctor) experienced in addiction medicine, working closely with the clinic’s addiction physician and psychiatrist
- Format
- individual sessions in person in Almaty or online; joint sessions with family members when indicated
- Duration
- each session lasts 50–60 minutes; the main course runs weekly for 3–6 months; maintenance sessions continue for up to a year or longer
- Confidentiality
- medical confidentiality, anonymous care, no entry in the state narcology (addiction) registry; no information is shared with your employer
- When it’s urgent
- severe withdrawal, seizures, hallucinations, suicidal thoughts, or an overdose — call 103 or 112
- Outcome
- lasting motivation, a clear action plan for cravings, fewer relapses, and a quick return to sobriety if one happens
What to know
After IV drips and coming out of a drinking binge, many of our patients in Almaty say the same thing: “My body has recovered, but I don’t know how not to relapse on Friday.” Cravings come back in familiar places — on the way home from work past the same liquor store, at country houses in the foothills where it’s customary to “sit down for a drink,” at office parties. Detox relieves the physical state, but it doesn’t change habits or the ways a person copes with stress. That is what addiction psychotherapy is for.
This page is about psychological work with the person who has the addiction: individual sessions, motivational interviewing, and cognitive behavioral relapse prevention. Work with relatives affected by codependency, group formats, the 12-step program, and our rehab center are described on separate pages. Psychotherapy can be the main treatment in outpatient care or part of a comprehensive program, but without it, lasting sobriety is much harder to achieve.
When you need addiction psychotherapy
- after detox or alcohol “coding” (aversion therapy widely used in Kazakhstan), you’re afraid you’ll relapse at the first sign of stress
- you’ve relapsed after periods of sobriety, and the same scenario repeats every time
- you drink or gamble to relieve tension, boredom, or loneliness
- you doubt whether you really need to quit, and that keeps you from starting treatment
- cravings get stronger in certain places, with certain people, or on certain days of the week
- along with the addiction, you have anxiety, depression, or insomnia
- you want treatment without hospitalization, keeping your job and your usual routine
If life is at risk — loss of consciousness, seizures, hallucinations, overdose, suicidal thoughts — call 103 or 112. Helpline for children and young people: 150.
Why sobriety is fragile without psychotherapy
Addiction (F10–F19 in ICD-10; gambling disorder is F63.0) is not just biochemistry — it is also a learned pattern of behavior. The brain remembers that a substance or gambling quickly relieves tension and links this to places, times, people, and emotions. After detox, these associations don’t go away: as soon as a person finds themselves in the same situation, the craving returns. Without new skills, they rely on willpower alone, and willpower doesn’t last long.
Addiction often masks other difficulties: an anxiety disorder, depression, the aftermath of trauma, loneliness in a big city, or burnout at work. Almaty’s big-city pace, with long hours and evening ways to “unwind,” creates a convenient niche for alcohol. Psychotherapy helps reveal what function the addiction serves in a particular person’s life and find other, safer ways to cope.
How addiction psychotherapy works at Akalam
First, the addiction physician assesses your physical condition and, if needed, carries out detox: psychotherapy is never started while a person is intoxicated. At the first session, the psychotherapist asks about your history of use, relapses, triggers, and what matters to you personally — without lecturing. Then you set goals together: complete sobriety or a first stage. Weekly sessions include a review of the past week, work with cravings, and skills practice. Some sessions can take place online, especially once you’re stable.
Psychotherapy alone is not enough in cases of severe withdrawal, risk of seizures or delirium, severe depression with suicidal thoughts, or addiction combined with psychosis — medical care comes first, and if there is a threat to life, call 103 or 112. If a person keeps using every day and cannot stop on an outpatient basis, the psychotherapist will recommend inpatient treatment or a rehab program and continue working with them afterward.
How we help
Motivational interviewing
A method recommended by the WHO for addiction treatment. The psychotherapist doesn’t try to persuade or frighten you, but helps you see for yourself the contradiction between how you live and what you want. Ambivalence — “I want to quit, and I don’t” — is considered normal and is handled gently, by strengthening your own reasons for change.
CBT for relapse prevention
You create a map of your triggers — the situations, thoughts, and emotions that set off cravings. Then a plan is worked out for each trigger: how to avoid it, how to ride out a wave of craving, what to say when someone offers you a drink, whom to call. A relapse is reviewed without shame, as a source of information rather than a failure, so you can return to sobriety faster.
Working with emotions and co-occurring conditions
Many people drink or gamble to cope with anxiety, anger, boredom, or insomnia. The psychotherapist teaches you to recognize these states and use alternative ways of regulating them. If depression or anxiety is severe, a psychiatrist joins in, and the conditions are treated at the same time rather than one after another. This lowers the risk of relapse.
Rebuilding relationships and lifestyle
Sobriety requires a new daily structure, a new social circle, and new ways to relax. The psychotherapist helps you plan weekends, conversations with family and coworkers, and rebuilding trust. When indicated, joint sessions are held with loved ones to agree on rules and on support without control or blame. This takes time.
How treatment works
- 01Call or WhatsAppThe administrator and the doctor on duty clarify the situation and tell you what to do right now.
- 02Examination or consultationThe doctor visits your home, sees you at the clinic or joins by video.
- 03Treatment planWe choose the format — at home, inpatient, psychotherapy or rehab — with a clear price.
- 04Ongoing supportYour doctor and psychotherapist stay in touch: follow-ups, family support and relapse prevention.
Myths and facts
MythPsychotherapy is only for people who can’t quit on their own
FactEven highly motivated people face cravings and stress. Psychotherapy gives you skills that lower the risk of relapse and make sobriety calmer rather than a daily struggle. It’s an investment in long-term stability.
MythAfter coding, psychotherapy isn’t needed
FactCoding can create a pause, but it doesn’t teach you how to live without the substance. Psychotherapy during this period helps you build new habits and prepare for the moment when the external restriction is no longer there.
MythA relapse means treatment didn’t work
FactRelapses are common during recovery. What matters is how quickly a person returns to sobriety and what they learn from the situation. In psychotherapy, a relapse is reviewed and the plan is adjusted.
Prices: Addiction psychotherapy
| Addiction psychotherapy | 18 000 ₸ |
| Psychotherapist session (50 min) | 14 990 ₸ |
| Psychologist session (50 min) | 12 000 ₸ |
| Family session (80 min) | 25 000 ₸ |
| Phone consultation | free |
Prices are approximate: the doctor confirms the exact cost after the examination, before treatment starts.
Confidential
We do not register patients with state dispensaries or share information with employers. You do not have to give your surname; doctors arrive in unmarked cars. Medical confidentiality is protected by the Code of Kazakhstan “On Public Health and the Healthcare System”.
Clinic addresses
FAQ
Can I start psychotherapy if I’m still drinking?
Initial motivational sessions are possible as long as you come sober. But full-scale work begins once you’ve stopped using: skills can’t be learned while intoxicated or in withdrawal. If it’s hard to stop on your own, a Akalam addiction physician will help you go through detox safely.
Do I have to give up alcohol completely?
When an addiction has developed, doctors recommend complete sobriety as the most reliable goal. But at the first stage, the psychotherapist works with the request the person came with and helps them reach a decision on their own, without ultimatums.
Does psychotherapy help with gambling addiction?
Yes. For gambling disorder, CBT and motivational interviewing are the main treatment methods. The work includes managing finances, blocking access to betting, analyzing thoughts about “winning it back,” and finding other sources of excitement and relaxation.
Will my employer find out I’m in treatment?
No. Psychotherapy is provided anonymously, with no entry in the narcology registry, and your information is protected by medical confidentiality under the Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Public Health and the Healthcare System.” Many patients choose evening or online sessions so they don’t have to take time off work.
Which is better — individual or group therapy?
They complement each other. Individual sessions let you work through your personal history and triggers, while a group offers support from people with similar experiences. We often start with individual work and then suggest adding group sessions.
How long does addiction psychotherapy last?
The main course usually takes 3–6 months of weekly sessions. The first year of sobriety is the period of highest relapse risk, so maintenance sessions every 2–4 weeks are recommended for up to a year or longer, depending on your condition.
Sources and review
Prepared by the Akalam medical editorial team based on:
- ICD-10 and ICD-11: mental and behavioural disorders
- Clinical protocols of the Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan
- Code of Kazakhstan “On Public Health and the Healthcare System”
- WHO: mental health and substance use
- NICE and APA clinical guidelines
This information is for reference and does not replace a doctor's consultation. Editorial policy