Addiction counselors give support, expertise and availability to those in recovery.
There are many people who can help us in our recovery journey. Sponsors, friends and family come easily to mind. But what about addiction counselors?
There’s a chance you don’t know anything about them, but they’re crucial to any addiction recovery journey.
What Do Addiction Counselors Do?
It’s in the name: these certified addiction counselors offer counseling to those suffering from addiction. But counseling doesn’t just mean advice. It also includes support, insight, and preparation through a judgment-free relationship.
Here’s what an addiction counselor can do for you:
- Assess your addiction to plan a recovery strategy for your specific needs
- Support you without judgment in your recovery strategy
- Lead you through one-on-one counseling that digs into why you became addicted
- Help you engage with peer-group therapy sessions
- Prepare you to stay in recovery once you’ve left treatment
Here’s what an addiction counselor can do for your loved ones:
- Facilitate sessions between you and your family or friends
- Point your loved ones to their own support groups
- Inform your loved ones of how they can support your recovery
How Are Addiction Counselors Trained?
There are different state licensing procedures at play here, but there’s one shared requirement: all private practice addiction counselors must have both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.
Would-be addiction counselors receive their licenses through licensing boards full of expert addiction counselors. Two examples are the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) and the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC).
Which certification an addiction counselor receives depends on their counseling experience. They often pursue more licenses as they continue in their career. Here are some acronyms you might spot on a counselor’s wall:
- Certified Addictions Counselor (CAC)
- Certified Co-Occurring Disorders Counselor (CCDC)
- Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC)
This training helps addiction counselors learn the best strategies to help you in your addiction recovery. It’s why we should note and celebrate their usefulness.
Where Can You Find Addiction Counselors?
What’s nice about addiction counselors’ training is that it lets them help in all settings. Where you might find them depends on what the counselor specializes in treating (whether alcohol, drug, food, or sex addictions). Here are some places where addiction counselors work:
- Government family services
- Inpatient substance abuse centers
- Outpatient substance abuse centers
- Hospitals
Wherever someone fights through addiction recovery, you can bet there’s an addiction counselor nearby who is ready to help out.
It’s important to understand what addiction counselors do because they give support and guidance to those in recovery. If you have any more questions, poke around In The Rooms and see if there are answers. Sign up today and learn more from the community our members share.
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