Substance Abuse Counselor

A substance abuse counselor is someone who helps an individual suffering from the problem of drug or alcohol addiction by way of counseling. The substance abuse counselor basically helps out by teaching addicts the skills to cope with their addiction. The job that these people have carries a great responsibility as getting rid of an addiction is a very difficult thing. However, the help that a substance abuse counselor can only go as far if you don’t trust them.

Trust is something that’s very hard to give someone but recovery can only happen when individuals addicted to alcohol or drugs, as well as their families, are willing to trust a substance abuse counselor and closely follow the advice given for a treatment plan.

The first step in trusting your substance abuse counselor is to recognize that they have a clear plan for how he or she is planning to attempt to change an addict’s life. If you come out of the initial consultation with a definite sense of a plan, that’s basically a telling sign that you’re in good hands.

If certain approaches in a substance abuse counselor’s plans cause an individual to be uncomfortable, it’s a good thing. The very reason that an addict seeks the help of a substance abuse counselor is because the individual’s efforts and the family’s efforts aren’t helping. When you find yourself thinking “Why hadn’t I thought of that?”, your substance abuse counselor is doing the job right.

Perhaps the best way to see if your substance abuse counselor is trustworthy is their confidence in their plans and approaches in addiction treatment. Most people need to know exactly what they’re in for before they commit to something so it’s important that a substance abuse counselor should be confident in their approach and willing to explain in it detail so an addict can understand the whole process and its purpose.

Another measure of an effective substance abuse counselor is empathy. A good substance abuse counselor should be able to engage an addict in a meaningful way early on. While some feedback may be hard to accept and some questions feel invasive, an addict and their support network should feel like the substance abuse counselor genuinely understands what’s been going on and cares about everyone’s welfare. You have to admit that it’s hard to dislike someone when they care about you.

An effective substance abuse counselor also knows how to balance genuine empathy with strict accountability. That means that a substance abuse counselor not only needs a strong plan but that they also need to enforce expectations regarding an addict’s progress. Confrontation isn’t something to be avoided especially when addressing matters of addiction. Don’t lose trust just because a substance abuse counselor is being too hard on you. You have to accept that the reason a substance abuse counselor gets that way is to keep everyone on track.

It’s also important to put trust in a substance abuse counselor as their work doesn’t stop with the counseling of an addict. A substance abuse counselor is also responsible in having sessions with the family of the addict as the family also faces a lot of problems due to an individual’s addiction. A substance abuse counselor can also help in rebuilding a recovering addict’s career as employers aren’t very keen on hiring individuals who have suffered through substance abuse. A substance abuse counselor’s constant aid in keeping a recovering addict on track and helping find employment is highly beneficial.

With all these in mind, take the time you need to find the right substance abuse counselor to help.  Don’t be afraid to ask questions and to talk to more than just one possible counselor. At the end of all this, there will be great freedom in finding the right person to trust and help you and your family recover.