Addiction Counseling Personal Statement

I am applying to your Masters of Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. I have earned my undergraduate degree in Biblical Studies from Mount Vernon Nazarene University. During my time earning my undergraduate degree I also minored in psychology. I am motivated to earn this degree because of the experiences that I have had while growing up in a home with a workaholic father and a bed ridden mother. This childhood has inspired me to work with those who are struggling emotionally and are in need of guidance and assistance.

I am currently interning at Volunteers of America Los Angeles (VOALA), and the program that I am placed in is a Harm Reduction program. I work with homeless veterans who are diagnosed with a mental and substance abuse disorder. For the past couple of months, I have seen the positive effects of Harm Reduction, and how safe it is with our clients. For this assignment, I specifically chose a conversation with Rusty Foster and Luis Lopez on Harm Reduction, because this is what I am interested in. As a recovering alcoholic myself, I want to work and help clients who are struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. I believe that addiction is hard to overcome, but Harm Reduction can be cost effective, educational, and a healthier way of using drugs and alcohol. While listening to this conversation, I immediately thought of my internship, and what I already know, and what I could learn.

I see myself 15 years from now as a Drug Counselor helping over a million people with their problems. I chose this career because I have lost a lot of family due to drugs and alcohol and i’ve been through it and no family should ever have to go through it.There are not enough drug counselors around the area for this many people to be doing drugs. Even though they shouldn’t be doing drugs in the first place. The satisfactions of me doing this job is not for the amount of money because drug counselors don’t make a lot of money. I would do it because i’ve learned a lot about drugs and the price that comes with it. I’ve learned a lot about drugs and there is still a lot more to learn . So i am going to pay extra special attention in health class.

I had the privilege of talk to Diana W. Bear of the Inter-Tribal Substance Abuse/Prevention & Treatment Center. She is a Counselor at the facilities at Miami, Oklahoma. She confided in me why she pursued a career in substance and alcohol prevention as a second career in her life. She also had family member that difficultly with addictions and wanted to know more about addiction. With her desire to learn and overwhelming desire to want to help others to overcome it. She started by enrolling in some online class and finished up with attending Pittsburg State University for part of her college career. She started out as doing her practicum at the same facilities as she later got a job; she has been a counselor with Inter-Tribal Substance Abuse/Prevention & Treatment Center for now ten years.

My current career objective is to work in the field of addictions and I hope to work directly with individuals seeking substance abuse treatment. Although it has recently been announced that addiction is a brain disorder rather than a behavioral issue, there is still argument that drug use is a choice and not a disease. I want to contribute to the substance abuse population because I feel the stigma that surrounds recovering addicts does not accurately portray the strength and positivity that comes from the recovery process. I want to be a part of empowering these individuals to put the pieces of their life back together.

Most become addicted because they want to numb their pain or try to gain some control in their life. For this reason, PTSD and substance abuse often lead to legal problems, incarceration, poverty, broken families and unemployment. “A startling 34% of all men and 27% of all women with PTSD will also suffer from drug addiction, while 28% of women and an astonishing 52% of men with PTSD will eventually be classified as alcoholics.” (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and

Being an addiction counselor is a very good job for anyone who is interested in helping others. It will help with making a better understanding how other lives can be so different from yours and anyone else’s. Along with helping others, you get good pay with little schooling involved. Being “close” or “friends” with your client is normally frowned upon in the health business.

Many men, women and children have recovered from an addiction. In most cases, part of the credit for their recovery belongs with the detox facilities that helped clear their systems of harmful substances. It's because of the nature of the process that a simplistic

One of my main reasons for wanting to become an alcohol and substance abuse counselor is to assist and educate individuals on the effect of substance abuse. For example, from my childhood I have seen my father drank alcohol on a weekly basis, today he is a sober and coherent. Sadly to say this situation has became an enormous devastation in lives of families today. It produced abused, incest, violence, separation, resentment and low self-esteem within the family circle.

Addiction coaching I have had personal experience with at a younger age my father became a crack addict. He struggled with this addiction for decades and as a little girl I was helpless seeing my father who was such an outstanding provider and supporter go downhill. I’m now as an adult estrange from my father because of his addiction. I’m working on repairing that relationship since I’m an adult and fully understand what addiction can led a person to

This experience has given me more insight about addiction and recovery. I have more respect for individuals in recovery, individuals seeking treatment, and professional providing treatment to the addiction population. Even though I believe my addiction/habit is significantly less severe than addiction to drugs and/or drug, I feel this project has given me a personal perspective on attempting a behavior change. I can share feelings and understand a client’s perspective. The behavior I chose does not relate directly to substance and drug abuse, some people consider behaviors such as these behavioral addictions. This experience not only has help me better serve people addicted to drugs and alcohol but other addictions such as sex addiction, work addictions, and gambling. I will have more patience with individuals striving to change or stop a behavior because I see how hard it was for me to abstain from a simple

Students that desire to pursue a career in psychological therapy need to be focused individuals and they need to be willing to put in the work that needs to be done. I'm talking to students that are willing to do a lot of reading because in order to pursue this career you have to learn about people and how there feelings and emotions work. Student you don't need to be shy to ask a question because no question is a stupid question. That is the only way your teacher will know how to help you it is pointless to sit there in the classroom and not ask questions it is apart of learning. You also want to make sure that your GPA is not to low it needs to be least a 3.0 or higher maybe a little bit higher in order for you to get into any good colleges

Addiction is a tricky word with varying definitions depending on who is defining it. Although the definitions may differ, it does not take away from the seriousness of the illness. The seriousness of addiction requires an intricate intervention and counseling plan. It does not target one specific population. All populations maybe affected by addiction in some way which is why it is important for the counseling plan to be diverse in nature and targeted directly toward the individual and not the population. The primary responsibility and well-being of the client is to the counselor. This is why counselors must abide by the rules and regulations detailed in the ACA Code of Ethics and also the GA State Board Rules & Regulations.

The readings impacted my identity as a counselor by understanding the principles, goals, and strategies of treatment in addiction. Therefore, the materials provide me instructions and strategies for effective interventions in counseling. These materials are beneficial in setting the treatment plan for addiction as an evolving master’s level counselor.

The researchers assessed the present state of current addiction training in the programs. From there they compared programs based on degree awarded either PhD or PsyD, APCS membership and the location of the clinic. Then, they evaluated the “potential” changes in addiction training since 1999.