The Work Of A Substance Abuse Counselor

By Claudine MacDonald


Substance abuse is a term used to describe the usage of certain drugs in a way that is not medicinal in nature. The behavior would lead to drug dependence and the development of withdrawal symptoms. There is no happy ending for drug addicts. For this reason, intervention should be done before it is too late. One of the people who can help these individuals would be a substance abuse counselor Pasadena.

This kind of counselor is someone whose area of specialty would be anything related to drug addiction. They help those who have become addicted to drugs such as heroine, cocaine, and methamphetamine. These counselors can work freelance or they can work in places like social welfare agencies, drug treatment centers, rehabilitation centers, and hospitals. They work hand in hand with doctors, psychologists, and other professionals.

Counselors may work with one patient or with a group of patients. A one on one session is usually the best thing to do if the patient would like to keep everything private. This is applicable in cases that have sensitive matters involved. A private session also ensures that counselor's attention will only be on one client.

There are also instances where group counseling is more helpful than having a private session. This is a kind of counseling that would encourage people to share their experiences with those who can relate to them. This allows the patients to think back about their own experiences. Group counseling helps patients know that they are not alone.

Whether counselors will be treating patients as a group or individually, they need to be aware that each patient is unique. One may have an addiction that is similar to others but his circumstance can be totally different. If one wants to properly approach a patient, he needs to have a good understanding of where the patient is coming from.

One of the jobs of a counselor is to help patients to identify the reason by their addiction or compulsive behavior. They help patients get past the denial stage so they maybe able to acknowledge that they have a problem. Acknowledgement should always be the first step for without this all the other steps will fail.

Once a patient will admit to himself that he does have a problem, he should have the commitment to do something about it. Counselors are not miracle workers and cannot do everything themselves. How effective the session is going to be will also depend on the willingness of the patient.

Battling addiction is not the easiest task to do especially if you have to live your life as well. Everyday is expected to be a challenge. There will be temptations every now and then. Counselors offer their support during this very crucial time since this is something that the patient will need.

Do not expect the substance abuse counselor Pasadena to tell the patient what to do. Instead of doing this, he will listen to everything that his patient will say. Therapeutic communication is also another tool that he can use. This is useful to be more effective in guiding a patient to the right direction.




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