The healthcare industry has hundreds of categories and sub-categories of treatment that require professionals who specialize in that area. For example, if you have an unusual skin rash, a dermatologist is the specialist who can help. Sub-specialties include pediatric dermatology or dermatopathology.
The same is true for the field of addiction. If you need medication to help with detox or cravings you might see a psychiatrist or doctor trained in addiction medicine. If you need addiction counseling, you can see a licensed therapist specializing in substance abuse treatment. They may also specialize in mental health and family treatments since they are all connected.
Addiction Counseling Defined
Addiction counseling is when a therapist uses their education, training, and special skills to guide you through the recovery process. Aside from counseling, therapists often complete assessments, develop a diagnosis, facilitate support groups, and make referrals as needed. They teach you to replace unhealthy skills and habits with healthy ones to prevent relapsing on alcohol or drugs often using evidence-based treatments. Addiction counseling also involves teaching family and friends how to support your recovery and their own.
Role of an Addiction Counselor
The role of an addiction counselor evolves as you progress through treatment. Initially, your counselor will focus on your stabilization. They may refer you to a psychiatrist if you need medication assistance for withdrawal and to a higher level of care, depending on the severity of withdrawal symptoms.
Once stabilized, your counselor can begin educating you on the disease of addiction and recovery skills using behavioral therapies. They should listen to you with empathy and compassion, discover your strengths that will benefit your recovery, and connect you with support to support you maintain recovery.
Addiction counselors also create treatment plans for you and your family and provide encouragement and motivational support to continue recovery. Before you complete treatment, your counselor will help you create a relapse prevention plan and help you obtain case management to help you tackle “real world” problems that may become triggers.
A case manager helps you create an aftercare plan for improving all areas of your life, giving you a better chance of recovery success. They can help you obtain transitional housing, childcare, insurance, job training, and legal assistance. They also help you maintain appointments with doctors and specialists to address needs like mental health and physical disorders, probation or parole, school, etc.
Goals of Addiction Counseling
The goals you set with your counselor may differ from those of others since there is no one-size-fits-all treatment plan. Working with your addiction counselor, you will create short-term and long-term goals and specific steps to help you reach them.
Short-term goals often include maintaining sobriety for thirty or sixty days. Steps to help you reach this goal includes participating in addiction counseling, recognizing and avoiding triggers for relapse, building a support system, and getting treatment for mental health issues.
Long-term goals focus on what you want to see happening in your life after being sober for a year or longer—completing your education, getting a job you love, or enjoying healthy relationships with loved ones. Steps to help you reach these goals include adding vocational counseling and family therapy to your treatment plan.
Types of Addiction Counseling
Addiction counselors use various types of therapies to help you succeed in recovery. Which ones they use can depend on their training, comfortability in implementation, and proof that it works. Common types include:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) relies on the theory that your thoughts influence your behaviors. By changing negative thoughts to positive ones, your behaviors will also change.
Dialectical behavioral therapy is a form of CBT that addresses the theory that the mind, body, and spirit are connected. Healing all at once is critical to complete recovery. To do this, add mindfulness and other holistic therapies.
Biofeedback for addiction counseling teaches you how to recognize the physiological changes in your body, signaling a possible trigger for relapse. For example, analyzing heart rate when confronted with a trigger. You will learn to pay attention to these changes and implement new relapse-prevention skills.
Alternative and holistic therapies are becoming more popular as more evidence shows their benefits for recovery. The theory is to treat the whole person and all issues a person has simultaneously rather than treating them separately. Researchers suggest untreated problems can become relapse triggers.
For example, suppose you have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and an opioid use disorder. If you complete addiction counseling only, symptoms from PTSD may overwhelm you, causing you to revert to old, unhealthy coping skills, such as misusing opioids.
Examples of alternative and holistic therapies include meditation, yoga, massage, acupressure, acupuncture, hypnotherapy, art, music, or equine therapy.
How to Find an Addiction Counselor
When searching for an addiction counselor, you must consider the treatment setting you wish to enter. Counselors are available at every level, including the following:
Inpatient and outpatient detox
Inpatient and residential rehab
Medication-assistance treatment clinics
Partial hospitalization programs
Intensive outpatient programs
Individual outpatient counseling
A great starting point is with an individual therapist specializing in substance use disorders. They will complete an assessment and provide recommendations based on your unique circumstances.
Choose an individual addiction counselor with an up-to-date license by the state where they provide services. Also, their educational background should be from an accredited institution.
Don’t hesitate to request a phone or video consultation with an addiction counselor before making the first appointment. Ask questions to determine if they are a good fit. Find out about their professional background and then ask the following:
Which type of counseling techniques do you use?
How do you know when it is time to end treatment?
What happens in an addiction counseling session?
What do you expect of your clients?
A good counselor is happy to answer your questions, empathizes with your situation, and provides hope that you can be successful in recovery. And you can be successful. Call today to connect with a licensed addiction specialist eager to help you regain your life.