Relapse Management / Relapse Prevention

Lapse and relapse management isn’t just important for substance misuse work. Any time a client has learned a new coping strategy and is attempting to put it into practice they are vulnerable to relapsing and using other (less adaptive) coping strategies. Relapse management can be used to reinforce use of the new coping strategy. Note the term relapse management rather than relapse prevention – when relapse occurs then ‘prevention’ indicates failure whereas ‘management’ promotes the idea of coping.