Counseling and Therapy With Clients Who Abuse Alcohol or Other Drugs

Every day, huge numbers of people use drugs or alcohol for recreation, medication, celebration, stress management, social lubrication, or escape. The abuse of psychoactive chemicals touches individual lives in countless ways, and clients frequently hint in therapy sessions at problems related to substance misuse. But historically, substance abuse treatment has been regarded as a separate specialty, for which students and trainees often prepare along tracks different from those leading to licensing or certification as psychotherapists. Few non-specialists feel completely competent and willing to grapple closely with the issues these clients present, in spite of the fact that such problems are quite frequent among client populations.

In this book, Cynthia Glidden-Tracey lays out an integrated, holistic, and effective approach to clients' inevitably intertwined problems, which encourages all practitioners to develop skills for detecting, assessing, and addressing substance use whenever concerns about it emerge in the course of therapy. She describes the frequent co-occurrence of substance misuse and other mental health problems, reviews therapy models and current professional questions, and empowers practitioners with the latest scientific knowledge about the causes and effective treatment of addictions. Throughout, her points are grounded in rich clinical examples.

Autorentext

Cynthia E. Glidden-Tracey

Inhalt

Contents: Preface. Might as Well Face It, There's Addiction Among Your Clients. A Model for Therapy When Clients Indicate Substance Abuse. The Changing Relationship of the Mental Health and Addictions Treatment Fields. The Types, Actions, and Effects of Psychoactive Substances. Assessment for Substance Use Disorders. Planning Treatment Across the Course of Therapy for Substance Use Disorders. Psychoeducation in Substance Abuse Therapy. Relapse Prevention Strategies. Interventions to Address Problems Linked to the Client's Substance Abuse. Terminating Therapy With Substance Abuse Clients. Appendices.