Substance Abuse Counselor Career Essay - 919 Words

I have wanted to be a counselor since my freshmen year of high school and in the counseling field there are many specialties that I can focus on. I am fairly certain that I want to specialize in helping people with substance abuse and their families. I have always focused my studies, interests, and work on things that will help me in this field and I have a lot of qualities that help to enhance me in my eventual career. There are difficulties when I get to practice also like what people perceive as correct counseling style, challenges with my gender and race, and finally creating my own counseling style and plans. Currently I am studying for my psychology degree and planning on finishing with my bachelors’ degree in 2014, I have faced†¦show more content†¦100).† This cycle is broken through detoxifying the body of these substances and then dealing with withdraw symptoms. Withdraw is usually the most trying time in recovery, common symptoms are nausea, nightmares , seizures, depression and hallucinations (Renner, et al, (2011) p.102). Another challenge I face is one of my own, my age, race, and gender. By the time I graduate I will be at least 22 years old and most people that become addicted get that way at a young age. The younger the child that tries the drug, the more likely they are to become addicted (Berger, (2006) p.456). As a Caucasian woman I will most likely be dealing with African American men, because they have the high numbers of inmates in prison for drug-related crimes (Roger Merkle (2005) p. 7). My gender and race may make it hard to overcome differences and gain their trust, but I hope to break through to them enough so that they can open up to me in therapy sessions. I plan to do my best to understand them and help them as much as I can so that they can see that I am serious about helping them. Another problem many counselors with run into is that people are many times forced to choose between prison and rehab, so those in rehab may not want to be there. Again I will need to overcome their attitude and gain their trust. As I said earlier, a substance abuse counselor helps people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol, but I am looking to not only help thoseShow MoreRelatedSubstance Abuse Counseling Laws And The Aca Ethics Code1465 Words   |  6 Pages Substance abuse counseling can be a rewarding career for anyone who has a desire to help people who are battling an addiction to drugs or alcohol. A substance abuse counselor can work in hospitals, prisons, therapeutic facilities, and halfway houses. The purpose of a substance abuse counselor is to help those who have an addiction manage it. 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