What do addictions counselors do

From helping the client to see clearly the emotional underpinnings of their dependency to helping with more mundane tasks such as helping the client find or maintain employment, the substance abuse counselor works with the client to help them become self-sufficient in life. The substance abuse counselor has a noticeable impact on their community.

Some ways they improve their community include:. The family of a substance abuser is often fraught with difficulty, heartbreak and emotional trauma. By helping the family to understand the nature of addiction and its related emotional component the substance abuse counselor can help to shift the families understanding of their chemically addicted family member.

By taking a collaborative and empowering approach, the substance abuse counselor can help the family to participate in the healing journey of their chemically addicted family member. The impact on the family is very significant and it is tremendously fulfilling for the substance abuse counselor to help reconciliation and healing on this level.

For the chemically dependent person, the substance abuse counselor can act as a game changing influence in their life.

By helping them to see clearly their patterns of addiction and problem avoidance, the substance abuse counselor can cause a radical shift in consciousness. This kind of empowerment can work to change forever the life course of the addict.

From helping the client find employment to helping the addict reconcile with their family members, the substance abuse counselor works as both a mentor and an advocate in the life of the chemically dependent person. Substance abuse counseling may have you working with a wide array of clients or you may choose to specialize in issues affecting a particular population, such as teens or veterans. Because every patient is different and struggling with various degrees of addiction, you may find yourself working with some individuals in a crisis situation, while others will meet with you regularly as they recover.

A substance abuse counselor is a support system for people with drug and alcohol problems, eating disorders and other behavioral issues.

They teach individuals how to modify their behavior with the intention of full recovery. As with traditional addiction counseling, individual and group therapies are commonplace for behavioral disorder counseling.

However, social workers, just like addiction counselors, endeavor to help their clients overcome obstacles in their life that prevent them from reaching their optimum potential. Where an addiction counselor might focus on a drug or alcohol problem as being an issue for a client to overcome, a social worker might help a client overcome poverty, unemployment, or a lack of education. Psychologist — Much like social workers, psychologists may or may not specialize in working with addictions.

Rather, psychologists can assist clients with a much wider variety of problems, ranging from depression and anxiety to personality disorders and psychoses. The commonality between psychologists and addictions counselors is the focus on helping clients develop the skills they need to improve their daily functioning.

Rehabilitation counselor — The focus of rehabilitation counselors is to help their clients live as independently as possible. Like addiction counselors and the other related occupations listed above, rehabilitation counselors provide emotional and practical support to their clients.

They develop treatment plans, procure resources for their clients, and advocate on behalf of their clients such that they receive the services they need to function at the highest possible level. Addiction Counseling Careers. Why Addiction Counseling is Important? What Do Addiction Counselors Do? Where Does an Addiction Counselor Work? Addiction counselors generally work in the following settings: Substance abuse centers Outpatient mental health centers Nursing homes Residential care facilities Social service facilities Family services Correctional facilities Prison and juvenile detention centers Public and private hospitals What are the Requirements to Become an Addiction Counselor?

What is the Job Outlook for Addiction Counselors? What is the Salary for an Addiction Counselor? Addiction counselors have a very rewarding career with many advantages: Rapid job growth — The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that there will be 31 percent job growth over the next half-decade in this employment sector. As a result, there are ample job opportunities for people with training as an addiction counselor. Choice of employment area — Addiction counselors have many potential employment locations.

Some work in private practice while others work in community mental health. Still others work for government agencies or private companies developing prevention and intervention methods to address substance abuse issues. National certifications are available — Because national certifications for addiction counseling are available, certified workers in this field can move from one state to another without worry of having to meet new or different certification requirements. This makes addiction counseling a much more convenient job area than many others in the counseling field.

Opportunity to help others — Helping other people overcome their addiction and lead a healthier, happier life is an extremely rewarding aspect of this job.

Despite the advantages, working as an addiction counselor does have a few drawbacks: Significant training may be required — Because substance abuse counseling is a specialty area, there may be extensive training and educational requirements beyond a typical college degree.

This may mean that prospective workers have to spend several months to several years getting the necessary credentials to practice as an addiction counselor. Frequent situations involving conflict — Like all counselors, addiction counselors often have to deal with a client that is angry, stressed out, or even violent.

Long hours — Addiction counselors may be required to work long hours, including on nights and weekends. What Careers are Similar to Addiction Counseling? Among them are: Substance abuse counselor — Counselors in this field specialize in working with individuals that are addicted to drugs and alcohol.

What are the Requirements for Addiction Counselor Certification? Featured Counseling Programs. Psychology Careers. Counseling Careers.