How should a counselor incorporate relapse-trigger coping skills into a session?

• A. Teach coping skills only at intake.
• B. Teach and practice coping skills, rehearse responses, and tailor to individual triggers.
• C. Avoid discussing triggers to prevent distress.
• D. Use a generic set of coping skills for all clients.

Answer: (B)

Relapse prevention works best when clients build and use a flexible set of coping skills that are tied to their real-world triggers. The most effective approach is to teach those skills, practice them in session, rehearse responses to anticipated triggers, and tailor the coping plan to each person’s unique cues and contexts. By role-playing cravings, high-risk situations, and emotional states, clients learn how to apply strategies under pressure, making the skills more automatic and useful outside the session. Triggers are individual and can change over time, so ongoing instruction, rehearsal, and adaptation are essential rather than a one-time intake teaching or a generic, non-tailored set of skills. Openly discussing triggers in therapy helps build preparedness and resilience, rather than avoiding the topic.