In addition to the education required to get certified as an addictions counselor, there are also educational requirements to maintain your certification. Each state varies in their requirements, but most credentials need to be renewed every two years. You will need to complete a certain number of hours or CEUs […]
Daily Archives: June 24, 2024
11 posts
There is no such thing as a perfect counselor. Even if you were a perfect addictions counselor, you would still have clients who relapse. You are going to make some mistakes along the way. The good news is that in most situations these mistakes are not catastrophic and they can […]
With any profession it is critical to make yourself more appealing to potential employers. Even if you are satisfied with your current job, having other employers pursue you, gives you leverage, helps boost your self-esteem and can give you more credibility in your field. So, in the field of substance […]
I have had many conversations with clients over the years discussing trust. We have talked about how easy it is to lose someone’s trust and how earning trust takes time and consistency. The same could be said for earning credibility as a counselor. I am sure that building a good […]
The first time I saw someone puffing on an electronic cigarette in public, I had no idea what they were doing, but now it is becoming more common to see. You are starting to see the ads for electronic cigarettes all over the place. (We even have them on this […]
It seems obvious that counselors would be good listeners; however, developing our listening skills is often overlooked because we think it is easy to be a good listener. Being an active listener is a skill that requires effort and practice. You can’t apply all of your other counseling skills until […]
The most important part of becoming an addiction counselor is the desire to want to help others in need. The pay is not great, the average being around $38,620 a year according to the statistics. Depending on the facility and education level the pay may be as high as $60,000. […]
A substance abuse counselor provides treatment to those in need of treatment whom are suffering from an addiction or are in recovery and trying to stay sober. They are an essential part of society as they provide the necessary needs for addicts. The process of becoming certified according to the […]
There is probably no such thing as a typical day as a substance abuse counselor, but this article: A Day in the Life of a Substance Abuse Counselor by Douglas Klier, M.A., C.A.C., Adjunct Faculty, Assumption College provides a good description of what counselors do on a daily basis.
Being a substance abuse counselor is one of the few professions where having a “checkered” past can actually be an advantage. While it isn’t like it was 30 years ago, when most substance abuse counselors were in recovery, there are still a significant number of addictions professionals, who identify themselves […]