Porn Addiction Resources
Porn addiction can be pretty challenging and very demoralizing for many. In this article, we'll be discussing the different aspects of what porn addiction is. The importance of addressing porn addiction and the different ways to navigate the challenges that come with it. The concept of porn addiction is rooted in the excessive and compulsive need to consume pornographic materials. This needs and unchecked desire can now create a lasting dependency on porn addiction, so much so that it becomes even more challenging for individuals to separate themselves from the influence. One area that can be helpful when dealing with
Internalized Homophobia: A Guide to Overcoming Shame and Self-hatred
Homophobia is an act of irrational fear, hatred, or aversion toward people who are or are perceived to be different in some ways. This can range from those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ+). Homophobic tendencies can manifest in various forms, including discriminatory behaviors, negative attitudes, verbal abuse, and physical violence. Homophobia is often rooted in cultural, religious, or societal norms and, in many cases, can lead to significant psychological and social harm for LGBTQ+ individuals. Internalized homophobia, on the other hand, happens when LGBTQ individuals absorb and internalize the negative attitudes and behaviors that are
Tips About Supervision
In order to become credentialed as a substance abuse counselor, you will need to be supervised for a number of hours. This is an area where the requirements can vary significantly from state to state. You will have your supervisor on the job, which means that you will have to be an employee, intern or volunteer. You will also have a supervisor, who is your trainer that guides you through the certification process. In some situations this will be the same person and in those situations, you may not have much choice who supervises you through this process. In many
Group Counseling: Pros and Cons
Group therapy is very common in the substance abuse field. As a substance abuse counselor, your chance of doing some group therapy is greater than most other types of counselors. For the first 8 years of my counseling career, I did almost exclusively individual therapy. When I took a job that would require some group therapy, I was a little concerned for many reasons. Over the next several years however, I really began to enjoy the group setting. I believe that in most situations that the ideal would be a combination of individual and group therapy. From my experience, here
Ongoing Education
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 (Continuing Education Units) during this period. (e.g., in Ohio you must complete 40 hours of continuing education every 2 years to maintain your credential.) You will need CEU’s for every credential that you have, however classes may apply to more than one credential (e.g., a class on co-occurring disorders will
Achieving Excellence in Counseling
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 help us grow and become better counselors. As counselors we tell our clients that relapse is part of the recovery process and we help them learn from these experiences, so that they will be better able to avoid relapse in the future. Mistakes are part of our learning process. While
Making Yourself More Marketable as an Addictions Professional
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 abuse counseling, what will make you stand out? How can you get to the point where employers are pursuing you instead of you chasing them? Here are a few tips that can help you become the addictions professional that everyone wants to hire. 1. Get Experience. It is an
Counselor Credibility
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 reputation can be a challenge in any profession, but I think that it is particularly challenging in this field, due to the population that we are working with. You need to have a good reputation with your clients in order to be an effective counselor. Having a good reputation amongst
E-Cigarettes and Recovery
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 site.) But, is “vaping” really a good alternative to smoking? Let’s look at some of the pros and cons and how this relates to recovery.
The Skill Of Listening
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 you become a good listener. Below are some tips to improve your listening skills. Be in the moment. This is good advice for all of life, but when you are with a client you owe it to them to be 100% focused on them. That means that you have to take