Essay on Profile of a Substance Abuse Counselor

Another challenge I face is one of my own, my age, race, and gender. By the time I graduate I will be at least 22 years old and most people that become addicted get that way at a young age. The younger the child that tries the drug, the more likely they are to become addicted (Berger, (2006) p.456). As a Caucasian woman I will most likely be dealing with African American men, because they have the high numbers of inmates in prison for drug-related crimes (Roger & Merkle (2005) p. 7). My gender and race may make it hard to overcome differences and gain their trust, but I hope to break through to them enough so that they can open up to me in therapy sessions. I plan to do my best to understand them and help them as much as I can so that they can see that I am serious about helping them. Another problem many counselors with run into is that people are many times forced to choose between prison and rehab, so those in rehab may not want to be there. Again I will need to overcome their attitude and gain their trust.

Despite the higher cost, a high-end substance abuse treatment center does not constitute better treatment. The support of therapists, counselors, family, friends, and peers can all be important factors in the recovery process. The most significant factor for an individual in the recovery process is a desire and a willingness to change. Many options exist for individuals that want to recover from addiction. These options include substance abuse rehabilitation centers and support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and SMART Recovery. These programs all have the same goal but use different techniques that at times even contradict other programs. Although the approach of the programs may vary, they have all been proven to work for certain

Counseling is defined as ”the use of therapeutic strategies to help clients address personal concerns and mental health issues” (Nystul, 2016). Pursuing counseling as a career involves many years of formal study and certification or licensure. After receiving licensure to practice as a professional counselors it is a requirement to maintain involvement and certification in certain associations in order to hold your license. These association often require further education and/or professional practice in order to maintain membership in these associations. It is quite obvious that counseling requires a large amount of commitment and passion in order to pursue it as a career and maintain a title as a counselor. I have conducted an interview with a professional counselor in order to further understand the experience of being a counselor. The interview that I conducted explores the requirements of maintaining and receiving a counselling career, the experience of being a counselor, and what characteristics or skills a professional may have. The Individual who agreed to the interview was a counselor by the name of Susie Facio. Susie Facio, through this interview, will be giving us a look at what influenced her to become a counselor, what her work entails on a day to day basis, and what qualities and skills she has acquired in order to become a successful counselor.

When most people think of substance abuse and addiction counseling they often only think of the 12 step program or alcoholics anonymous. The truth is that an addiction counselor must have a vast knowledge in the

Currently, I am a counselor in training at East Carolina University within the Department of Addictions and Rehabilitation Studies. Upon graduation, I will be pursuing licensure as a Clinical Addiction Specialist and a Professional Counselor. I am working at the Navigate Counseling Clinic, under the supervision of Qunesha Hinton, who also serves as my ECU doctoral student supervisor. My faculty supervisor is Shari Sias, Associate Professor, Substance Abuse and Clinical Counseling Program Director at East Carolina University (office number: 252-744-6304; email: siass@ecu.edu) and facility supervisor is Dr. Leigh Atherton at Navigate Counseling Clinic (office number: 252-744-6300; email: athertonw@ecu.edu) .

For example a member of the group mention how the group meeting helps her to be open and honest about a day by day struggle with temptation and addiction because the group members can relate to her bawl while she has to be silent about her emotions with her coworkers because of the stigma and the lack of understanding on the disease as well as the taboo of talking about it. Another example that aid me to understand the role of the group meeting is the fact that each member identified himself or herself as an addict by the time they mention their name which from my point of view relate to the fact of acceptance instead of denial about who they are, that even when years passed from the last time they used they are aware that they are still vulnerable to the drugs and that the support the group therapy provide is essential to stay clean as a member also mentioned that he was born an addict and stay an addict for many years but incompletely denial of it because he thought he could stop using drugs whenever he wanted to but failed each time until he finally join the group and follow the discipline and stipulations of the group

Substance abuse disorders are common in our society. It is a disorder that each one of us will most likely experience through a family member, friend, or our self. I felt very drawn to this topic due to the fact that I have a family that has background of substance abuse and I myself have battle the demon. Not until I struggled with my own addiction did I become more tolerable and understanding to those that have a substance abuse disorder. Substance abuse is not something anyone wants to have; it is a disorder that takes control of a person’s life. It is a beast that tears a person apart; from their being to the lives of their loved ones. This disorder is not biased in anyway; rich or poor, male or female, employed or unemployed, young or

CMB is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor. She currently works at an outpatient non-profit agency and also has a private practice. CMB has been a counselor for over twenty years and has experienced a number of different ethical dilemmas over time. Through this interview, the counselor discussed a specific ethical issue she faced and how she handled the situation.

In life there are always two sides to every story. Furthermore, there are always relationships between the two. Counselors in recovery and counselors who have never been addicted can both perform well and help others. The real question is how would a client feel if they know the person who is helping them is in recovery? Or how can a counselor who’s never been addicted create a bond with clients so they feel understood? Reality is that being a counselor is harder than it seems. Hearing people's life problems and putting aside your own personal ones to help others is sometimes more complex than we think. Some of the disadvantages for recovery counselors are that there might be challenges that may yield relapse including burnout and potential

The abuse counseling career that most interest me is a substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselor because I desire to assist those with addictions of all kinds by finding and treating the source of the client’s problem. Dealing with abuse can be a very difficult road to recover from due to the individuals need to cope with life daily however there are techniques and creative ways to introduce to those who need help in recovering. There are addictions that are responsible for certain behavioral disorders such as child abuse, neglect, and domestic violence which may cause the client to be withdrawn or overly active each case varies. Other behavior traits can be genetic and or learned over

Drug abuse is on the rise. While the use of drugs like cocaine and heroin is in a state of decline in certain parts of the world, prescription drugs abuse is on the rise (UNODC, 2013). Prescription drugs that were prescribed with the intention to do well are now one of the leading causes of self-harm. Drug abuse has no gender or social class, it can affect people regardless of social status and wealth, and now more than ever we need to understand the reason behind the abuse. What psychological factors could cause an individual to abuse drugs in the first place? In this research essay, I will discuss how each one of the major school of psychology perspectives could attempt to explain a

Throughout my life I have experienced many trials and tribulations, this has all influenced me and made me who I am it has made me a better person. I am interested in obtaining a degree in psychology that way I am able to become a substance abuse councilor. In high school I had a passion for baseball, scouts had watched me play and were interested in having me play for them on a college level. After graduating high school I had the chance to attend college through baseball but during that time in my life I had stirred from the path I should have been on. I was too caught up in being young a reckless teenager, I was caught up in partying. I was in a situation a point of throwing caution to the wind, a point as to where I did not think about what was

Prevention methods for substance abuse are taught to children as early in their kindergarten years and follow throughout their lifetime. Current programs available are school-based programs, parent and family, work programs and community and public media campaigns.

Individuals that suffer from mental illnesses often utilize alcohol to self-medicate. The key is educating the client on the consequences of alcohol use and that it should not be used to self-medicate. By identifying the client’s disorder and rapidly treating the condition, the client’s ability to function in society will be enhanced. In this this assignment, five video episodes will be evaluated and therapeutic approaches will be identify.

In order for psychologists to endeavour to define substance abuse, 'Substance' itself must be defined an in the context of psychology a substance is defined as anything an individual may ingest that alters mood, cognition or behaviour. Therefore there is clearly a long list of substances including chocolate (known for changes in level of neurochemical Serotonin) or Coffee (Stimulant). Hence the term substance is more commonly referred to nicotine, alcohol, stimulants (i.e. cocaine and Ecstacy) and depressants such as Heroin and Ecstacy. There is distinction between Substance use and abuse. An individual who can enjoy an alcoholic drink, for example, but in a context where there is no