• Seeking counseling to address his substance abuse and criminal past which severely impacted his relationship with his family

  • led to his imprisonment

  • separation from daughter

• Long-lasting pattern of addiction throughout most of his adulthood (cocaine, marijuana, frequent drinking, nicotine addiction)

• Reports feelings of hopelessness

Hopes for Counseling:

• rebuild his relationship with his daughter and father

• reach sobriety and ensure his sobriety after his release from prison

• have a better understanding of his addiction

• gain insight into how his substance abuse has affected his life choices and relationships with loved ones

• realization that many current problems are related to addiction/drug trade

• indecisive about when to start change

• provide him with resources and information

• discussing the positives and negatives of seeking support

Alderson, K. (2020). Addictions counseling today: Substances and addictive behaviors. SAGE Publications, Inc.

Miller, P. M. (2013). Principles of addiction: Comprehensive addictive behaviors and disorders (A. W. Blume, D. J. Kavanagh , K. M. Kampman , M. E. Bates , M. E. Larimer , N. M. Petry , P. De Witte , & S. A. Ball, Eds.; Vol. 1). Elsevier/AP.

• substance abuse treatment programs

• support groups

• family therapy

• other counseling services

• suitable for George's recovery

• provides support from individuals who are also recovering from addiction

• offers peer support to help minimize feelings of isolation or shame

• highlights the value of connection among group members and between members and therapists in supporting recovery

• peer-support

• connectedness

• opportunity for helpful feedback

• increases accountability through regular attendance at group

• increased confidence

• additional support

For providers:

• allow for a holistic approach (integrates community)

• assist in improving client outcomes

• provides additional resources and knowledge

  • can assist with tailoring treatment methods

• helps to monitor client's progress

  
  

• Every client is unique - recovery looks different for everyone

  • not to say this structure would work for George

• Scheduling conflicts

  • may not have the availability to attend sessions regularly due to his imprisonment

• Negative experiences

  • may feel judged by other group members or facilitators

  • can hinder his motivation to get support

For providers:

• Mixed messages

  • if the feedback differs between the NA sessions and individual sessions it can cause confusion for the client, impact the client's development, and negatively impact the client-therapist relationship

• Reliance on NA

  • if providers rely on the group for the progression of the recovery process it can negatively affect the client-therapist relationship

    • therapist isn't addressing concerns related to the addiction

    • therapist lacks collaboration

Alderson, K. (2020). Addictions counseling today: Substances and addictive behaviors. SAGE Publications, Inc. 

Dekkers, A., Vos, S., & Vanderplasschen, W. (2020). “Personal recovery depends on NA unity”: an exploratory study on recovery-supportive elements in Narcotics Anonymous Flanders. Substance Abuse Treatment Prevention and Policy, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-020-00296-0

Demme, T. (Director). (2001). Blow [Film]. SF Studios.

Helping you to help others. Home. (n.d.). https://www.naadac.org/ 

Home Page: Journal of substance use & addiction treatment. (n.d.). https://www.jsatjournal.com/ 

Miller, P. M. (2013). Principles of addiction: Comprehensive addictive behaviors and disorders (A. W. Blume, D. J. Kavanagh , K. M. Kampman , M. E. Bates , M. E. Larimer , N. M. Petry , P. De Witte , & S. A. Ball, Eds.; Vol. 1). Elsevier/AP. 

Substance abuse and mental health services administration. SAMHSA. (n.d.). https://www.samhsa.gov/ 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Nida.nih.gov. National Institutes of Health. https://nida.nih.gov/