Look for someone with a relevant degree, experience treating substance abuse, and up-to-date credentials. This ensures they have the knowledge and skills to guide you effectively. Those with master’s-level degrees in fields such as psychology, social work, counseling, and related fields can provide individual counseling or may work in private practice. You’ll at least need a bachelor’s degree to practice addiction counseling. Many states require you to have a master’s degree for addiction counseling licensure and certification. Licensed addiction counselors are experts at understanding the underlying causes of addiction.
History of Substance Abuse Counseling
Cognitive behavioral therapy is used in both mental health and substance use disorder treatment, and in CBT, you don’t have to delve into your past at all. Instead, you can just focus on the present-moment connection between certain thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and work on changing the thinking that leads to negative experiences. When a therapist uses their standard approach with clients who have substance use disorders, it can sometimes result in poor outcomes for those clients, despite that therapist’s best intentions.
Important Skills for Substance Abuse Counselors
Ongoing counseling also helps to prevent relapse or a reoccurrence of symptoms. For all of these reasons, the demand for highly qualified addiction counselors continues to grow. An addiction counselor (substance abuse counselor) provides expert care and support to people who have substance use disorder (SUD), like alcohol use disorder or opioid use disorder. Education is a foundational step toward becoming a substance abuse counselor. Requirements vary depending on role and setting, but most positions require formal training in addiction counseling or a related field. Often, substance abuse counselors will focus on addressing complications in your life caused by substance use and on helping you develop relapse prevention skills.
At this point, the counselor is trying to determine the severity of the issue and any extenuating circumstances that might help or hinder the process of recovery. Based on the results of the assessment, an addiction counselor’s next duty may be to outline a treatment plan. Treatment plans typically include traditional addiction recovery methods like therapy and counseling in individual and/or group settings. People with substance abuse counselor careers not only help individuals, but they also make valuable contributions to society by potentially decreasing overdoses. Inpatient and outpatient substance abuse and addiction counseling services help individuals change maladaptive behaviors, build support networks, and recognize unhealthy patterns of behavior. Addiction professionals who are seeking a counseling career often earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
Drug Education: Drugs and Your Brain
They may also provide case management services and refer clients to other resources, such as support groups or 12-step programs. Unfortunately, many therapists who lack education or training in substance abuse treatment will still try to treat substance use disorders. Many are well-meaning and assume their knowledge and skills are transferable to any behavioral health condition or issue. Others may also have the expertise to treat co-occurring conditions such as depression or anxiety simultaneously (dual diagnosis). Many programs operate in teams of mental health professionals that include counselors, therapists, nurses, doctors, and others, so it’s important to know who helps with what during substance use counseling.
Substance abuse counselors will work one-on-one with clients to develop goals and strategies for pursuing sobriety — all in a compassionate and confidential environment. People who choose a career in addiction counseling can work in a variety of settings, from hospitals and rehabilitation centers to halfway houses, prisons and private practices. Requirements to become a substance abuse counselor can vary, often depending upon the type of setting and employer. For most positions, a bachelor’s degree is required to be an addiction counselor. Additionally, addiction counselors must complete continuing education courses every year and pass a state-issued exam.
People who have a chemical dependency on drugs or alcohol can turn to substance abuse and addiction counselors for mental health and social services, such as therapy, housing, and employment. These professionals apply their knowledge of addiction and treatment to their counseling practice. A substance use counselor can be a good career choice, especially if you are passionate about assisting individuals suffering from drug or alcohol addiction or excessive use of substances. If you are looking for a job that gives you purpose, a substance use counselor is one job to consider. Addiction presents different issues that vary from person to person, so counselors need to tailor their treatment plans to address a variety of needs.
Degree Types
Substance abuse treatment at The Recovery Village includes a dual diagnosis process to identify co-occurring disorders so that mental health counseling can be integrated accordingly. For many clients, the two diagnoses (substance abuse and mental health disorder) are deeply intertwined, requiring simultaneous treatment. Substance abuse counselors work with individuals and groups to provide counseling, education, and support to those struggling with substance use disorders.
What Skills Are Essential for SA Counselors?
The Hazelden Betty what is a substance abuse counselor Ford Graduate School creates transformative educational experiences for future leaders in evidence-based care for addiction and mental health disorders. In January 2020, there were more than 14,000 specialized substance abuse treatment facilities in the United States providing counseling, behavioral therapy, medication, case management and other types of care. But there are evidence-based therapies that can help people manage the disease and live a happier, healthier life.
Is there a demand for substance substance abuse counselor career professionals?
- Continuing education and specialization enhance long-term career mobility.
- Substance abuse counseling developed within the substance abuse treatment field as a practical and effective method to help clients recover from substance use disorders.
- Counselors may offer individual counseling, group therapy, crisis intervention, and case management, all tailored to the unique needs of each client.
- A subtance use counselor may help you understand how substance use disorder and mental health challenges are connected.
- In this article, we can help you choose the right substance abuse counselor and provide information about what to expect during counseling.
The role blends compassion with clinical expertise and offers long-term opportunities in a growing field. With the right preparation and credentials, counselors are positioned to make a lasting difference in the lives of others. Key drivers of demand include expanded insurance coverage, criminal justice reform initiatives, and the ongoing opioid epidemic.
- As with many jobs in the psychology and counseling fields, substance abuse counseling offers many personal benefits as a result of helping people overcome significant obstacles in their lives.
- Their answers should give you the impression that they have experience treating substance use disorders and that they’re the right fit.
- With online counseling, you may not have to compromise the quality of your care, either.
- Please note that “substance abuse” and “substance dependence” are now referred to as “substance use disorder” per the DSM-5.
- Substance abuse treatment at The Recovery Village includes a dual diagnosis process to identify co-occurring disorders so that mental health counseling can be integrated accordingly.
However, keep in mind that each state’s regulations are unique, and the license and certification requirements vary. For more information on each state’s specific criteria for substance abuse counselors, visit theNational Board for Certified Counselors. Substance abuse counselors play a vital role in addressing addiction and supporting individuals on the path to recovery.
Substance abuse counseling tends to be immediate and practical in its approach. Unlike therapy, where you’ll take some time to explore what you might want or need to do, substance abuse counseling hits the ground running and starts helping you solve practical problems right away. Keep in mind that individual counseling or therapy is not always a high enough level of care, especially in early recovery. When individual sessions aren’t enough, consider starting with an intensive outpatient program. Addiction is a disease, and the majority of the population (especially substance users) are unaware of exactly what drug and alcohol use can do. Counselors have the unique opportunity to educate their clients using formal and information interventions.
