Chemical Dependency Counseling

We've all heard of chemical dependency counselors but what are they really and what do they do? These counselors work with people who have substance abuse problems and they try to help their patients overcome their issues and remain clean. Licensed counselors often have an MA or sometimes even a PhD in Counseling or Psychiatry. They use what they have learned in the degree programs they have attended to make people realize that they can control their mental impulses and their emotions and that they can stop relying on drugs. More often than not people cannot do that on their own so apart from the counselor they need their family members to be supportive too.

It follows that part of the job of a chemical dependency counselor is not only the actual counseling of the person with a substance dependency problem but talking to family members and convincing them of the importance of their role in the recovery of the patient as well.

Counselors know different techniques of various therapeutic styles and have extensive training in how to cope with the dependent person and with the family as well. Since many patients require extensive and intensive treatment, many counselors work in close collaboration with mental health clinics. Sometimes they do individual counseling, other times they do group counseling depending on the needs of the patient.

This is a highly demanding profession and if you are considering becoming a counselor you should know that apart from your long hours at work you will always need to be prepared for impromptu work related phone calls. Depending on your experience and qualifications you can expect to get a salary around 40, 000 per year if you are a beginner and between 60,000 and 80, 000 if you are more experienced. If you like the tasks you will be expected to perform, if you are a convincing and imaginative individual and if you feel you have the necessary energy to do the job properly, this is probably one of the most rewarding careers you could get.