Substance abuse is on the rise, and it raises the question – can addiction counseling help addicts overcome their problematic behaviors? The truth is, counseling is a behavioral treatment therapy that ASWH uses extensively at its rehabilitation center. Counselors provide the options of group addiction counseling and individual treatment program. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that whether applied to an individual or a group of drug abusers, alcohol addiction counseling is an approach that aims to cultivate a positive environment for consultation and strengthens interpersonal relationships between consultants, addicts, and support networks.

What Is Addiction Counseling

This treatment method is defined as a specialty that involves high-level approaches that seek to understand and help an individual overcome drug abuse and other problematic behaviors. Often, counselors who provide addiction counseling services start by identifying a problematic behavior, evaluating its effects on a person then recommending effective treatment methods.

It is a process that helps individuals understand their problems before aiming to overcome dependence. Through intensive one-on-one counseling sessions, consultants help addicts regain their sense of self-worth through recovery therapy. Notably, addiction counseling programs are often tailored around substance abuse and addictive behaviors such as alcohol use. A consultant must, therefore, possess addiction counseling competencies before being allowed to treat a patient. Here are some of them:

  • Skill in counseling for opiate addiction that often targets individuals who abuse drugs and those who battle a relapse problem even after being subjected to treatment therapy.
  • Drug addiction counseling techniques that work.
  • Good understanding of different treatment therapies and how to combine them

Woman At Addiction Counseling Therapy

Role Of The Consultant In Counseling

While the role of a consultant is multifaceted, ASWH specialists primarily focus on helping addicts overcome problematic behaviors such as alcoholism. Irrespective of how frequently one abuses drugs or how challenging withdrawal is, therapists further provide extensive free addiction counseling to patients battling drug abuse. The following are the main roles of consultants:

Developing Plans For Relapse Prevention

Statistics show that the chance of addiction relapse is between 40 and 60% in most patients. And given that substance abuse and other behaviors can be hard to kick out of one’s life, finding free online addiction counseling sessions becomes necessary.

The sooner one locates a proper treatment center, the more effective the relapse prevention plan is. The reason for that is the fact that overcoming relapse is not always about saying no to alcohol or resisting an urge to abuse drugs. The role of a consultant is, therefore, pivotal. It includes rolling out offline or online addiction counseling programs for a full recovery. Consultants at ASWH start therapy by reviewing a patient’s addiction history, examining signs of withdrawal then devises methods of avoiding relapse. Managing dependence also includes identifying a support network which often includes friends and family members. An addict is then advised on the significance of lifestyle change.

Doctor Feeling Medical Report At The Office

Helping Patients On A Path To Recovery

Drug and alcohol addicts find it embarrassing to seek treatment. It is even more worrying that addicts cannot recognize their own drug abuse patterns or fight dependency on harmful substances. On this premise, consultants opine that fighting the substance abuse disorder is a battle one can only win with the help of a support system.

During the program that involves treatment such as motivation enhancement therapy (MET), our therapists trigger intrinsic motivation in addicts who want to quit drugs. MET is one of the many addiction counseling techniques that transcend listening, advising, and teaching. Moreover, when helping patients fight dependency on alcohol and harmful chemicals, counselors employ empathy to, first of all, affirm addiction. It is an approach that empowers addicts to take action and change their problematic behavior.

Cultivating Therapeutic Alliance with Patients for Speedy Recovery

Creating a therapeutic atmosphere during therapy is one of the many substance abuse treatment techniques with proven efficacy. Such a practice is referred to as recreational therapy. It involves cultivating an atmosphere of trust with patients so that they can feel the need for behavior change. Patients are more comfortable talking about dependency challenges when they feel a consultant is committed to one’s well-being. While the establishment of a therapeutic alliance may take time, it makes counseling for alcohol addiction easy.

Addiction Counseling Usage

The usage varies from one patient to another. At ASWH, therapists apply different evidence-based techniques to identify an addiction problem in patients before recommending a treatment therapy. Opioid addiction counseling, for example, is often a lengthy treatment process. Treatment often includes aftercare programs such as body detoxification and administration of certain drugs. According to MedlinePlus, using counseling for the treatment of drug abuse help initiate behavior change and encourage the adoption of healthy living.

The more drug addicts are exposed to different counseling methods, the better they become at dealing with the problem of abuse. When undergoing counseling for opiate addiction, addicts should understand that overcoming substance abuse requires a self-commitment and willpower to withdraw completely from something that is mentally, socially, and physically harmful.

Group Psychotherapy Session For Youngsters

Interaction with Other Therapies

Treatment for substance abuse disorder requires a combination of different treatment therapies such as CBT, MET, 12-step facilitation, and DBT to speed up recovery from alcoholism and substance abuse without risking relapse. Counselors apply CBT to help addicts identify their problematic behaviors, cultivate coping skills, and embrace the need for change. The use of MET during addiction counseling classes triggers a realization that change starts from within. The 12-step facilitation encourages abstinence from substance abuse using group activities for addiction counseling, often referred to as a support network.

How ASWH Can Help

Addiction counseling for family members or individuals battling drug abuse is a non-confrontational technique that helps patients uncover the dangers of drug abuse and subdue the misuse. At ASWH, our counselors offer in-patient and outpatient addiction counseling services as a means of identifying the existence of a problem and recommending the best treatment therapies. Individuals who want to know more about addiction counseling should contact our representatives today and learn how we can help loved ones recover from dependency.

  1. NIDA. (2016, February 11). Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction: What Science Says. https://www.drugabuse.gov/understanding-drug-abuse-addiction-what-science-says
  2. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US); Office of the Surgeon General (US). Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health [Internet]. Washington (DC): US Department of Health and Human Services; 2016 Nov. CHAPTER 4, EARLY INTERVENTION, TREATMENT, AND MANAGEMENT OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK424859/
  3. MedlinePlus. Opioid Misuse and Addiction Treatment. https://medlineplus.gov/opioidmisuseandaddictiontreatment.html