Substance abuse counselors face unique challenges, one of which is how to counsel a depressed substance user. Rooting out abusive habits, addressing addiction and dependency, and coming out on top is tough. Some struggle more than others, especially when depression becomes a factor of recovery. Depressive symptoms can hit an addicted individual before, during, and…
What is competence? Its simplest definition is to do something both successfully and efficiently. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, competence involves quality and doing something well. Competence is important for substance abuse professionals because our success intimately hinges on whether or not our clients succeed. But how do you, a substance abuse pro, become and…
Remaining unbiased is pivotal to a substance abuse professional’s success. Discrimination comes in many shades. Taking an issue with or treating someone differently because of their age, economic condition, gender, handicap, national ancestry, race, religion, or sexual orientation constitutes discrimination. Per the Ethical Principles of Conduct all substance abuse professionals adhere to, we are not…
How important is trust? Think about it. Really think about it. If you had to rate how important trust is in a generic relationship on a scale of 0 to 10, 10 being most important, what numerical value would you assign it? When it comes to relationships, some say trust is more important than love….