In competence enhancement, what skills are primarily taught?

Coping skills and assertiveness are primarily taught in competence enhancement because these skills are crucial for individuals in recovery from addiction or facing psychological challenges. The focus on developing coping skills equips individuals with strategies to manage stress, emotional turmoil, and triggers that may lead to substance use or relapse. This may involve identifying unhealthy thought patterns and learning constructive ways to respond to stressors.

Assertiveness training is an important component as well, as it helps individuals to express their needs and desires confidently and respectfully without resorting to aggression or passivity. This can enhance their ability to build healthier relationships and set appropriate boundaries, which is often challenging for those in recovery. Together, these skills promote resilience and a sense of agency, significantly aiding in the recovery process and supporting long-term change.

While financial management skills, social networking skills, and time management skills can be beneficial in various contexts, they do not directly address the behavioral and emotional challenges that individuals in recovery face as effectively as coping and assertiveness skills do. Therefore, the emphasis on these particular skills makes them central to competence enhancement in addiction treatment.