Appropriate client-counselor relationships require clearly defined boundaries, according to Keisha Mclean-Green, director of the Absolute Advocacy organization. The substance abuse counselor recognizes the vulnerability of clients and does not engage in personal friendships or socializing with clients outside the office.
Full Answer
What are the professional boundaries of a substance abuse counselor?
Professional Boundaries for Substance Abuse Counselors and Clinicians 1 The Responsibility of The Substance Abuse Counselor. 2 Clearly Established Goals Maintain Professional Boundaries. 3 Self-Care for the Substance Abuse Counselor is Key To Professional Boundaries. 4 Adhering To Ethical Guidelines & Supervision.
What are professional boundaries in treatment setting?
Professional Boundaries in treatment setting client factors (culture, age, gender, hx, personality, current physical and emotional state, etc) treatment role setting and context treatment practice contract Appropriate?
Who is responsible for maintaining boundaries between a counselor and client?
While it may seem unfair that the counselor is ultimately responsible for maintaining boundaries, it is clear why this is. A) The counselor is the professional, B) the client may not understand the need and importance of having boundaries and C) there is a power imbalance between counselor and client.
What are boundaries in addiction treatment?
Boundaries in addiction treatment are an essential part of the client counselor relationship. In fact, they protect both the client and the counselor and they remain intact even during the inevitable ups and downs of addiction counseling. Boundaries are important because they:
Why are boundaries important in addiction treatment?
Boundaries are important because they: Reduce the chance of the exploitation (intentional or unintentional) ...
What is the role of boundaries in counseling?
Boundaries are set at the very beginning of treatment and it is the counselor’s responsibility to make sure they are adhered to. Boundaries need to work in the best interests of the client and can be negotiated – sometimes based on cultural and/or personal preferences or differences.
Why are boundaries important?
Boundaries are important because they: Reduce the chance of the exploitation (intentional or unintentional) of a client. Create a definitive role for both the client and the counselor. Create a framework of rules under which counseling can continue. Offer a role-model for the client.
What is the job of a counselor?
Ultimately, it is part of a counselor’s job to fully understand the depth of their relationship with a client. This is what we do and our jobs depend on our ability to make the best decisions for ourselves and our clients in mind.
Is a counselor's job to understand the depth of their relationship with a client?
Some examples of blurred boundaries include: Ultimately, it is part of a counselor’s job to fully understand the depth of their relationship with a client.
Who is Keisha from Absolute Advocacy?
Keisha is co-founder and Clinical Director of Absolute Advocacy. Over the course of her career, Keisha has helped thousands of people struggling with substance abuse and disabilities obtain the tools they need to lead productive, happy lives.
Why is empathy important in counseling?
Empathy is the ability to understand and share feelings, and it’s another important tool for counselors. It often creates the bridge that allows you and your client to connect. Chances are it is part of the foundation that your professional relationship will be built upon as bricks of honesty, respect, and trust are laid.
Is an ethical client relationship professional?
An ethical client relationship should remain professional at all times. There isn’t room for romanticism, let alone sexual activity. But what if you have feelings for someone you either counseled, who received counseling where you work (ed), or was once a client who received substance abuse counseling help?
What are the ethical principles of substance abuse?
Like other health care specialists, substance abuse counselors follow an ethical code grounded in the ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, justice and nonmaleficence. The Quantum Units Education organization suggests that these four ethical principles are the cornerstone of effective substance abuse counseling.
Why do substance abuse counselors read journals?
Substance abuse counselors read professional journals to stay abreast of emerging trends, such as increased use of vaping devices among teens and opioid use in rural communities. They look forward to completing training that will fulfill continuing education requirements for the renewal of their state alcohol and drug counselor license. Consistent with their ethical code of conduct, substance abuse counselors continually assess their own skills and acknowledge areas where additional training could be helpful.
What is beneficence in counseling?
Beneficence requires substance abuse counselors to act in their client’s best interests. Health promotion is an important component of beneficence. The substance abuse counselor considers benefits and risks to the client in recommending interventions and treatment modalities. Offered services may include residential treatment, out-patient group counseling, living in a half-way house and aftercare recovery groups, for example.
What is NAADAC in addiction?
NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals is a well-known organization representing more than 10,000 specialists in the field of addiction prevention, treatment and recovery. As part of the organization’s mission to provide quality addiction resources, NAADAC provides substance abuse counselors with standards of practice in the form ...
What is the code of ethics for substance abuse?
Health care professionals follow a code of ethics that identifies expected behavioral norms, rules, boundaries, standards and shared ethical principles. A code of conduct for substance abuse counselors offers guidance on how to handle tricky situations and appropriately support clients from intake to recovery.
What is the right of a client to make their own decisions?
Autonomy refers to the right of clients to make their own decisions, such as choosing whether to enter alcohol or drug treatment at the urging of their family. Addictions can have a powerful hold on a client. Resistance is likely to occur if the substance abuse counselor uses coercion, manipulation or fear tactics to pressure the client into treatment. The code of conduct for substance abuse counselors suggests that they roll with client resistance and respect autonomy. They build rapport, offer support and educate the client on the goals of treatment.
What is substance abuse counseling?
Substance abuse counselors work closely with adolescents and adults struggling with serious problems related to alcoholism and drug addiction. Advising emotionally distraught and suffering clients demands a high level of skill and professionalism.
How does family counseling help with SUDs?
Rather than focusing solely on individuals who have SUDs, family counseling widens the focus by shifting attention to clients and their whole families. This shift in focus supports identification of goals as a family group and as individuals within that group. It also creates a transparent atmosphere that helps individuals with SUDs see that their families are not blaming them for their addiction or ganging up on them to seek treatment. Exhibit 1.3describes some of the benefits and challenges of this approach.
How does SUD affect family members?
When a person has an SUD, his or her family members experience significant effects, some more powerfully than others (e.g., older siblings with less direct exposure to parental SUDs may be less affected than younger siblings still living in the home). Families experience hardships, losses, and trauma as a consequence of a member's SUD (Black, 2018; Reiter, 2015). Some families tend to blame or create excuses for the person's substance misuse. They generally have strong feelings, whether they express them or not, toward the family member who drinks or uses drugs. Family members may direct these feelings toward the substance rather than the person. If families minimize the impact of the SUD, they may blame another family member or stressful situation for the presenting problem (Reiter, 2015).
What are the factors that influence SUD?
It is common to acknowledge the unique individual factors (e.g., environmental, genetic, biological ) that may influence a person's substance misuse and SUD treatment outcomes. Yet equally important are interpersonal factors— social, occupational, and familial (relationships, dynamics, and interactions). Both individual and interpersonal factors can affect one's access to, initiation of, and engagement in SUD treatment. These same factors influence SUD treatment outcomes.
What is family counseling?
Family counseling is a collection of family-based interventions that reflect family-level assessment, involvement, and approaches. A systems model underlies family counseling. The model views families as systems, and in any system, each part is related to all other parts. A change in any part of the system will bring about changes in all other parts (Becvar & Becvar, 2018). Family counseling uses family dynamics and strengths to bring about change in a range of diverse problem areas, including SUDs.
How many chapters are in the TIP?
This TIP consists of six chapters (Exhibit 1.1). Some readers may prefer to go directly to chapters most relevant to their areas of interest. However, the TIP starts with core concepts laying the groundwork for understanding families and how SUDs can affect them, before moving to more specific family approaches, counseling techniques, and programmatic considerations.
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NCBI Bookshelf. A service of the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
What is family therapy?
A family is a complex system that attempts to keep equilibrium (or “homeostasis,” in family therapy terms). When substance misuse occurs in the family, members will try to manage the behavior of the person who is using drugs or alcohol and the consequences of that use for the family. A family may go through a range of responses to keep the family functioning. Some may view these responses as unhealthy, enabling, compensatory, or counterproductive, but they serve a purpose— to keep the system operating. This operating system directly influences treatment engagement, treatment outcomes, use of support systems, and sustained recovery for each family member.
What are the challenges of being an alcohol and drug counselor?
Alcohol and drug counselors, along with other mental health professionals, face a number of challenges and special issues when working with people who have suffered abuse or neglect as children. Like most people, counselors become upset or angry when they hear about children getting hurt or being abused. Some counselors are recovering from substance abuse disorders and were themselves abused or neglected as children, and they may find themselves in a professional situation where they have to confront their own abuse experience and its impact on their lives. As a consequence, counselors who were abused or who had substance-abusing parents may experience feelings that interfere with their efforts to work effectively with adult survivors. For example, counselors may find it difficult to relate to clients effectively and to reach a balance of providing enough--but not too much--support and distance.
What is NCBI bookshelf?
NCBI Bookshelf. A service of the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
What does "pay attention in a particular way" mean?
paying attention in a particular way; On purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally.”
Is outside practice harmful?
outside common practice often benign and not harmful or exploitive