Canadian Addiction Rehab A To Z On Alcohol Counseling | Page 3

EFFECTIVE ALCOHOL
COUNSELING PRACTICES
• Have a well constructed counseling plan
•
Different people have different counseling needs, all of which need to be considered when approaching the task.
However, there are some counseling course stages which need to stay consistent throughout. This is why it is
important to have a well-constructed counseling plan beforehand, so that when the counseling process actually starts,
the counselor will already have a plan of action, and will be able to track the progress of the alcoholic.
• Be very confident with the initial approach
•
The very first experience that the alcoholic has with the counselor is perhaps the most important. This is why the
initial approach needs to exude confidence in both the counselor’s abilities, as well as the addict’s capability for
recovery. The combination of both will instill confidence in the addict, regarding the prospect of their recovery. This is a
very important asset, since it will encourage them to let go of the addiction sooner, rather than later.
• Get to the reason behind the addiction
•
Often when a person starts to resort to a substance to bring them a measure of comfort, there is an underlying
reason behind this. It could be a plethora of domestic issues, or lagging performance at work. In any case, it is
important for the counselor to get to the root cause of the issue, before they get to the recovery phase of the
counseling plan.
• Work alongside, not over the alcoholic
•
Perhaps the most important factor of all is that the counselors not suggest, during the counseling session, that they are
in any way superior to the alcoholics. This is extremely detrimental to the confidence of the addict, since they do not
need a patronizing and overbearing voice; rather a gentle and accompanying one, which they can search for beside
them, not above them.