Substance Abuse Counseling Essay

Clearly, college is a unique period in which students begin to develop their own identity and establish a social network. Often, alcohol and other substances are part of this process, and many college students develop unhealthy drinking or substance abuse patterns that put them at risk for adverse consequences that can continue during early adulthood. College counselors and student affairs professionals need to keep informed of the various signs and symptoms of substance abuse in individuals in higher education settings. More importantly, educators should be familiar with various treatments for drug and alcohol abuse so they can refer students to receive additional help and support. As future college counselor, I recently attended a workshop on Substance Abuse Counseling, presented by Dana Capmagna, and learned relevant information for working with college students. The workshop focused on treatment options for drug and alcohol abuse, but also covered common signs and symptoms of substance abuse. Some of the most commonly known programs that support individuals trying to become sober, are 12-Step programs, harm reduction programs

First, they express empathy through reflective listening. That is, even if the counselor has not had personal experience with addiction, they can express empathy by recognizing that change is a process and that many factors influence recovery. Next, clinicians bring to light discrepancies between clients’ goals and their current behavior in such a way that argument and direct confrontation is avoided. Then, clinicians adjust to clients’ resistance and continue to support them until clients are ready to engage in the counseling process again. Once clients feel more comfortable with the counseling relationship, counselors support self-efficacy and realistic optimism for clients to believe they can change (Capmagna, “Substance Abuse Counseling,”