Condition : This is a time for building trust and opening up a dialogue with the client. Being aware of all the circumstances of the reasons the client is in treatment is important as the may be there for legal reasons or voluntary. They may be already in the contemplation stage or even taking action to quit their addictive behavior. In the early stages advanced addicts for certain drugs may have mental impairment that will need to be taking into consideration. In any case, some ambivalence it very likely. In the early stages being prepared to work with resistant clients - whether they are outwardly resistant or passively is particularly important.
The group provides the opportunity for them to be checked by other participants -
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They can kindle the inner hope that they can and should live authentically and be responsible for their condition.
In the early stages the counselor will focus on imparting information, learning their clinical needs, creating cohesiveness and harmony in the group - building the group into as hermetically sealed a container as possible with each gathering. The use of substances to change states is often motivated by the lack of sense of belonging. The goal, while hard to achieve, is to give the client a replacement from the substances / addiction in healthy community.
Leadership : The counselor and leader has these major goals in the early stages of counseling
In the early stages creating an environment where clients feel safe is important. Also, the leaders should have a confident, authentic and, spontaneous presence, while not being overly charismatic. The client should feel strong support and care, so they can adapt to the structure provided voluntarily and without hesitation.
In group, an possible tactic is an ice breaker that allows the clients to collaboratively decide how to introduce each other in the group. This gives them a sense of community right off the bat.
Particular care to connect with feelings is important in early stages and practicing sharing them
The Specialization chosen is addiction counseling. This paper will cover the key aspects of addiction counseling which include biological, psychological and physical aspects. As well as medical and social aspects of addiction and counseling. Addiction counseling must adhere to strict ethical codes, and the counselors need to have an understanding of addiction, and have knowledge in the various types of treatment programs. Other key aspects that are important in this specialization are the application to practice, and most important professional readiness. Addiction counseling differs from other specializations because it requires long-term care and treatment, and requires more than one form of treatment within individuals. Treating
At the beginning of my training, I was hesitant to work with people struggling with addiction. However, at this point, I am excited to begin working with this population. The raw honesty presented in the group setting along with the anger at the possibility of losing a safe place created a dynamic I wanted to further explore. Research supports that individuals attending group therapy in a 12 step program format succeed if they have the proper support and motivation (Cite). The group dynamic demonstrated that recovery takes time and self-discovery, similar to other situations dealt with in therapy. Subsequently, by using my sense of self and humor with clients struggling with addiction, I can help them in their journey. Furthermore, the client needs to identify accountability at their own pace in the process and not when others dictate. This knowledge and the personalization of addiction will aid me in the future support of my
Contact between an addictions counsellor and a client is usually initiated by the client referring him/her self, an outside agency refers them, family physician or the addictions counsellor initiates contact through outreach or other agencies. Assessment can be seen as the beginning of treatment and it becomes an opportunity to encourage the client to begin to move towards change. The initial assessment involves a mutual investigation and exploration between the client
Psychoeducational groups relating to additions or substance abuse are designed to assist participants in their stages of change, learn about recovery, provide information to families to understand behaviors, and to assist participants with resources and skills (U.S Department of Health and Human Services, n.d). Psychoeducational groups will support participants and encourage them to take responsibility for their actions. These groups will utilize different methods to replace addictive behavior and practice mindfulness to work on any cognitive impairment that their addiction has produced (U.S Department of Health and Human Service, n.d). In addition, substance abuse or addiction psychoeducational groups provide participants support and peer confrontation. Other members are able to support the group by offering education about what has worked well for them, or what has not work well. The group processes also provides emotional support for members to assist in personal recovery.
It was never my intention to work with addicted clients, but nearly every family therapy course I have taken has, either overtly or covertly, stressed the need to understand addictions. While I understand the concept on a cognitive level, I had judgements about the type of people that become addicted and did not feel compelled to work with them, until my niece died. Her drug addiction deeply affected all members of her immediate family. Her parents and her step-dad, my brother, each reacted to my niece’s addiction in different ways but none were successful and the family began to fail under the stress.
Additionally, management of money and life skills should be addressed in conjunction with fair drug abuse, as issues gradually erupt the addicted female begins to address their issues and gradually prepares for them systematically as she begins to transition to independence he in her communal environment the critical component of treatment includes the psychosocial evaluation, treatment planning, individual and group counseling, psychoeducation and interactive group therapy. If all of these are used in conjunction with cognitive behavioral and other therapeutic approaches to treatment inclusive of 12-step concepts. Reference If these board concepts are addressed thoroughly in treatment the chemically addicted female can develop a solid foundation in which to learn to address and cold with her many issues. Not only has the responsibility been placed on the treatment environment, communal environment, but also much of the responsibility has been placed on the individual. This becomes essentially a valuable tool then the addicted woman can learn to set responsibility for herself give back to her community while building skills and self-esteem that help her gradually improve her own life. Reference
They have access to skilled staff members and other supportive program participants, making the process of recovery more amiable. Once the detoxification process is complete, the person is ready to work on addressing their underlying issues. Working through these issues during short term inpatient rehab helps prevent them from resurfacing after treatment is complete. The program participant can expect individual counseling sessions as well as group therapy during their time in treatment. Upon completion of their drug rehab program, the graduate has a clearer perspective on their life and how to maintain their
A patient who will undergo substance abuse treatment needs all the support that he can get. He experiences a great deal of emotional stress, and even physical stress at times, as withdrawal effects can cause pain to the body. Having a group of people who work as the patient's support group makes the treatment procedures easier to deal with. Support groups can be family members, friends or even those who are part of a society focusing on substance dependence and
For example, the substance abuse counselor typically facilitates treatment goals with the client; thus the goals are individualized, focused mainly on the client. This reduces the opportunity to include the family’s perspective in goal setting, which could facilitate the healing process for the family as a whole. Working out ways for the two disciplines to collaborate also will require a re-examination of assumptions common in the two fields. Substance abuse counselors often focus on the individual needs of people with substance use disorders, urging them to take care of themselves. This viewpoint neglects to highlight the impact these changes will have on other people in the family system. When the IP is urged to take care of himself, he often is not prepared for the reactions of other family members to the changes he experiences, and often is unprepared to cope with these reactions. On the other hand, many family therapists have hoped that bringing about positive changes in the family system concurrently might improve the substance use disorder. This view tends to minimize the persistent, sometimes overpowering process of
The relationship between an addict and his or her social worker is important. It should be based on trust with the understanding that recovery and sobriety is the number one outcome. An important first step for a social worker to take in order to help the client is to perform an assessment. An assessment provides a better understanding of the client’s situation and needs and should focus on three main tasks.
Through imperial research I hope to examine the effects on a variety of approaches. Upon acceptance in to this program, I hope to gain a full understanding on the current approach. To improve on the methods already being used, I must have a complete understanding of what it is to be a substance abuse counselor. I think the best way to do that is to become one. I want to know the challenges of the professionals currently in the field.
Attending three different types of treatment meetings helped me understand more clearly the ways that addicts mostly benefit from the provided services and support during their recovery processes. I say mostly because, although the benefits received from these meetings seem to outweigh the negatives for members, the meetings may lack the additional support offered via counseling or psychotherapy. I will share my experiences with the three types of groups I attended to demonstrate my understanding, impressions, and suggestions of possible ways to utilize and improve upon these supportive structures when working with substance abusing clients. Specifically, I intend to offer constructive feedback and criticism of ways I would like to
There was no question more intimidating for me when I began drug and alcohol counseling than “What can you tell me about being a drug addict if you have never been addicted to drugs?” I learned about Freud and Piaget, common diagnoses, and parts of the brain in my undergraduate studies but never the answer to this question, or at least not looking like a nervous mess as I responded. My career as a drug and alcohol counselor came with many challenges, but compared to other fields in which I had worked, it has aligned the most with my beliefs in the power of connection. The five degrees of separation is real and if we speak to enough people we know, we will find in some way that we are connected to someone who has, or does, struggle with substance
It’s important that the information provided is limited to substance abuse. Although many areas of the client’s life have been affected, client educations as a core function are educating the client on different resources provided by the community such as AA/ NA. Relapse prevention is another way to educate clients helping them identify people places and things that may cause triggers. Educating political leaders, schools and the community on substance abuse can help bridge a gap in community support and people in recovery. There are many areas on which we need to be familiar in such as cultural identity, health, sexual promiscuousness, and stress management, biological, medical, social and physical aspects of substance abuse.
I think that a drug addiction counselor, should not be high on the agreeableness continuum. People that are on drugs, seek help from counselors. To help, counselors should be very antagonistic and micromanage their patients, to assure that a relapse wouldn’t happen. If the counselor is high on the agreeableness continuum their patients wouldn’t get better. Counselors high on the agreeableness continuum, would trust drug addicted people, who are already influence by a narcotic. This would defeat the purpose of seeking counseling. The best fit for a drug addiction counselor is to be untrusting, firm, and strict to their patients so they will not turn to drugs. Counselors should be low on the agreeableness continuum.