Counseling for drug and alcohol addiction has improved drastically over the last 10 years, as more people are realizing that it’s something that can affect just about anybody from any walk of life. People who suffer from substance abuse are not bad people, or people with poor impulse control, but instead people who were exposed to a very dangerous substance by chance and soon became physically or psychologically dependent on it (and sometimes both of those). Fortunately, Fort Meyers counselors can help people in Fort Myers and anywhere else in the world attain lasting sobriety.
Many people who realize they have a problem begin to wonder what kind of counselor they’re going to need. What should you look for in a counselor? What credentials should the counselor have? Does the counseling program take place in inpatient or outpatient treatment? Early sobriety can be a confusing time, but it’s also a time of great excitement. There’s hope out there. How do you spot it?
Counselor Qualities
A good counselor is going to be licensed through their proper agencies and state boards. They will sometimes have specific experience in the field of substance abuse, with the accompanying certifications and licenses in those areas as well. Not every single counselor will have a mountain of certifications and licenses, but it sure doesn’t hurt if they do. Younger counselors don’t have the experience to get some types of licenses, but it doesn’t mean they can’t help their clients. It just means they’re amassing the experience they need to hold those credentials.
Substance abuse is a big problem in today’s world, so many counselors are seeking continuing education in the realm of substance abuse treatments. They may work in inpatient settings or intensive outpatient settings. Great counselors may do educational classes in inpatient settings or hold classes of their own for recovering communities. The key quality of counselors of this nature is that they have a strong compassion for recovering individuals, and they want to show them that there’s hope. They use their educational background to do so, but at the heart of the good substance abuse counselor is a strong desire to help addicts and alcoholics recover.
Types Of Counseling
Research on substance abuse is still in its infancy, but we’ve come a long way over the years and now know that it’s important for a counselor, any counselor, to have the ability to recognize comorbidity in substance abuse clientele. For example, substance abuse disorders often co-occur with bipolar disorder. A great counselor will be able to recognize both and either treat the person for both disorders or refer them to someone who can treat a condition they can’t.
Many substance abuse counselors today strongly believe in having the family support system involved in therapy as well. This means that if the client has a substance abuse disorder, the whole family may have suffered along with them. A family that suffers together can also get well together, and counselors are always open to family therapy so long as it adheres to the privacy of all people involved. Group therapy, music therapy, meditation, and so many other forms of relief can also help recovering individuals.
Personality Matters
No matter how professional a counselor is, or how open-minded a client is to treatment, the concept of personality is going to play a part as to whether or not a counselor is right for you. Some people prefer male counselors, others female counselors. A good counseling center is going to have a healthy choice of both genders. Sometimes gender may not matter, but instead personality. Even in counseling, there will be times when someone simply doesn’t enjoy talking to a certain counselor.
Each human being has their own unique way of confronting a crisis such as substance abuse. And every counselor will have their own unique approach and prefer some treatment methods over another. There will be times when what looks like the perfect counselor on paper will turn out to be someone you’re not comfortable sharing personal information with. And that’s okay. In any kind of relationship, there will be times when personalities clash. If this happens, you ask for another counselor until you find the one that is perfectly suited to hear your substance abuse story and help give it a beautiful, successful conclusion.
If you’re looking for the counselor that is best for you, we would love for you to give our counselors an opportunity to get you the help you want or need. Just call us today at 844-639-8371.