Counseling is a therapy and practice that mainly involves talking to clients. Qualified professionals apply their knowledge and skills to help others solve their problems and overcome traumas and difficulties in life. Using a variety of theories and methods, counselors can provide psychological therapy and support. There is a wide range of issues that counselors can address, depending on the type of therapy they specialize in and the client’s needs. Most importantly, support can help with serious issues such as addiction and bad ideas. This paper will discuss counseling work in substance abuse and addiction treatment. In particular, the theories, that are considered the most and least effective in this niche. The main argument of the text is that behavioral counseling is effective in dealing with addiction, while the humanistic theory of counseling does not have the necessary scope to solve the problem accurately. Both theories will be contemplated in connection with addiction treatment, as well as their respective advantages or disadvantages will be emphasized.
A number of counseling approaches can be used to work with clients who have experienced addiction. However, the effectiveness of any given theory will vary because the problem of substance use is complex. I believe a behavioral approach to counseling would be the most appropriate for this issue. While addiction is often misunderstood as an individual failure or character concern, the real face of addiction is much more difficult to describe. This problem is strongly influenced by both the human environment and economic conditions (McAdams, 2022). Precarious living situations, low-paying jobs, and lack of an established support circle can all lead to and exacerbate substance use (McAdams, 2022). Therefore, to successfully counsel a person with addiction, it is necessary to consider his/her living conditions and environment and talk about them.
On the other hand, I think the humanistic theory is unsuitable for consultation with a person who has experienced addiction. Humanistic psychology considers a person as an object that needs to be freed from neurotic control due to the denial of social norms and “deviations” in the psychological state (Humanistic therapies, 2022). According to this theory, it is impossible to understand an individual who is self-aware and independently makes decisions; that is, it is necessary to consider their continuous, multi-level self-consciousness. Although a person is a product of social influence, their whole life is shaped by their own decisions (Humanistic therapies, 2022). In such a case, it becomes difficult to completely break this loop and allow a person to live a “clean” life. Substance abuse largely becomes an uncontrolled danger to the mental and physical well-being of the individual and those around them. While addicts can often stay abstinent from substance use for a while, relapses and persistent behavior patterns are common. Therefore, to center the counseling process on a person’s ability to overcome the problem of addiction through their efforts will be wrong.
Addiction is an issue caused by several systems and interrelated factors. Without fighting them, it would be impossible to beat the addiction truly. In addition, a person’s inability to resolve/overcome other concerns in their life is likely to result in a relapse or inability to stop using psychoactive substances. In this regard, a humanistic point of view, focusing on personal efforts and problem-solving mechanisms, will not be effective. In order to access the full range of human experience and use the available information to help people on their journey to fulfillment, the counselor must consider the client’s life circumstances.
References
Humanistic therapies. (2022). Counselling Directory – Find a Counsellor Near You. Web.
McAdams, C. (2022). Counseling theories and approaches. William & Mary Education. Web.