Is Your Addiction Counselor Qualified to Treat You

1. Is Your Addiction Counselor Qualified to Treat You? Thinking of checking into treatment soon? It would be smart to find out more about the person who’d help you walk the path to life sans addiction. Won’t it? It is completely okay for you to think that. After all, you will be trust your counselor with your life and hoping to get better. Let us put your mind at ease by telling you the most important part: it isn’t easy becoming a counselor. An addiction counselor has to complete different qualifications along with many years of schooling and training. Keep in mind that the requirements for addiction counselors will vary from state to state. Even so, here is a general idea, in terms of training, education, and licensing: Education Before they can become a licensed addiction counselor, a person must have an Associate’s, Bachelor’s, or a graduate degree. Since there isn’t a specific degree path that is needed to become an abuse counselor, there would be a difference in the subjects and courses that many counselors will study. Most of them will have studied the subjects of sociology, psychology, and others related to mental health and wellbeing. Other subjects that perhaps do not directly apply to their practice but are still important include biology and physiology. Most addiction counselor qualifications will have the stipulation that a counselor should be able to treat the physical aspects, along with mental effects of substance abuse. Certification Certification isn’t always required though it is usually recommended in the case of potential addiction counselors. While state law will dictate the need for certification, some counselors will also look for additional certification. If your counselor has, then you might

2. be looking at someone with a good set of skills and the right level of motivation to help their patients. Experience Don’t worry that you would be handed off to a green addiction counselor. Even though, each counselor will gain more experience the longer they practice, novices will receive training. They will be allowed to learn and acquire the necessary skills before they are deemed ready to listen to patients. Thus, if your counselor is treating you, they would be doing so after having spent a specific amount of hours doing work under supervision. The duration for supervised work cannot be any less than 24 months. Why are the Qualifications of your Addiction Counselor your problem? Because it helps you see the hard work that this professional has put in to be where they are. It isn’t like confiding your problems to a stranger at all! This person has spent considerable amount of their time, expensed their energy, and dedicated their profession to helping people with drug problems. As a patient, you aren’t the only one who is invested in you getting better. Your addiction counselor has trained and studied to do exactly that! If you let them, they will be with you every step of the way. Having a well qualified addiction counselor is just the first of many steps in your getting better. But it is an important one! Article Source: http://www.medica-info.com/is-your-addiction-counselor-qualified-to-treat-you/