Prior to this week, I would have said I was more inclined use a humanistic approach combined with cognitive behavioral therapy and after viewing the web references I would say this is still true; however, the degree to which I relied on each will probably be in different measure. Behavioral therapy will now play a larger role due to information I have learned from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which indicates that such approaches are the “most commonly used form of drug treatment” (NIDA, 2012). Additionally, behavioral therapies often involve dealing with an individual’s motivation to make changes, and as such, I think motivational interviewing, is another excellent way to help clients with addiction no matter where they are in terms of readiness for change.
I feel my strengths in working with clients such as Sahira include my own struggling with addiction, both to alcohol and overeating. I have attended both Alcoholics Anonymous and Overeaters Anonymous so I know what it’s like to deal with addiction; although, no two clients’ paths are ever the same and I would never presume to know what my client is experiencing. I am sure I would, however, feel a great deal of empathy for my client and want to help him or her as best I can. If anything I may overidentify with my clients and feel I need to rescue them, so I need to be aware of these kinds of feelings when they arise.
The areas I think I most need to work on will be staying abreast of new brain research, and incorporating that information into my work as a counselor. That field is generating new research all the time and because I have ADD, myself (which has resulted in a less than optimally functioning frontal lobe!), keeping up with the new data out there and using it to my clients’ advantage will be a challenge.
Reference:
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2012). Principles of drug addiction treatment: A research-based guide. (3rd ed.) http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-addiction-treatment-research-based-guide-third-edition/principles-effective-treatment. Retrieved Feb. 10, 2014.
The Heart of Addiction 
Feb 18, 2014 @ 06:13:25
Hey Patricia,
I think it’s great that reading further about addiction treatment changed your perspective and and allowed you to incorporate more behavioral strategies into your approach to counseling addicts. Also, I am really impressed with your honesty in revealing your experience with both alcohol and food addiction, as well as having ADD. Your own experience with addiction will definitely give you a major advantage when counseling addicts in that you have a unique insight into what they are going through. Similarly, addicts involved in counseling tend to favor counselors who are also addicts, because then they feel that their counselor truly understands their struggle. In fact, my mom, who graduated from this program, was fired from an addictions treatment center because she was not an addict. That’s great that you recognize possible biases and countertransference you may experience when counseling other addicts. Finally, interesting point about keeping up with brain research! I would have never considered that!
-Rachael