Become an Addiction Counselor | Education, Skills & Duties

Why Addiction Counseling is Important?

Addiction counseling is one of the cornerstones of recovery for anyone who has dealt with substance abuse. Addiction is a cycle with a high rate of recidivism. Without counseling, those recovering from addiction are more likely to return to their addiction. As long as there are people with addictions, addiction counselors will be needed to help.

Substance abuse is a common problem. Those with addiction problems can often suffer from physical and psychological problems as well. This poses a challenge for many including families of those suffering, the criminal justice system, and the medical community as a whole.

Addiction counselors help alleviate those issues by helping those suffering from substance abuse. They provide much needed assistance to those who want to return and make a contribution to society without placing a burden on those around them.

Addiction counselors are the link in the chain to recovery. As with any type of rehabilitation, things start once you leave your initial treatment.

Those learning to walk again are not just thrown out of their chair, nor should a recovering addict be thrown back into an environment where they are likely to abuse again. This is where counselors come in. They can help those recovering learn to say “no,” live in society sober, and lead a normal and healthy life.

Without addiction counselors, those suffering from substance abuse are likely to return to their old ways. With the help and guidance of an addiction counselor, those dealing with recovery are more likely to recover from their addiction and make better life choices.

What Do Addiction Counselors Do?

Addition counselors conduct counseling for clients who are experiencing an addiction. Sometimes they might even be addicted to more than one thing. Addiction counselors work with various forms of addictions including substance abuse (alcohol or drugs).

Addition counselors also work with clients who have other addictions such as a sex addiction, a gambling addiction, or possibly an eating disorder. Primary aim of every addiction counselor is to prevent or treat various types of addictions.

Addition counselors perform assessment of the client and their behaviors to determine whether they are addicted and, if so, what they are addicted to. To do this, they would use certain standards, such as certain types of questioning and/or surveys, to identify the extent to which someone uses a certain substance or partakes in a certain behavior, for example.

Addiction counselors also consider their clients’ readiness for change, what stage are they at in terms of actually recognizing that there is a problem, how much do they want to change, and how willing and motivated are they to actually choose and implement different behaviors.

Also, they would decide on and implement the appropriate treatment for the client. Treatment would include therapy that has been shown effective for the particular addiction they have. It would also often incorporate helping the client to deal with his or her underlying mental health issues such as grief or trauma that may have been related to the addiction. Often times addictions are a form of coping with some underlying issues.

Where Does an Addiction Counselor Work?

Addiction counselors generally work in the following settings:

Substance abuse centers
Outpatient mental health centers
Nursing homes
Residential care facilities
Social service facilities
Family services
Correctional facilities
Prison and juvenile detention centers
Public and private hospitals

What are the Requirements to Become an Addiction Counselor?

In order to become an addiction counselor, you need to obtain a master’s degree, which can take approximately 2-3 years after your bachelor’s degree.

A bachelor’s degree can usually be completed in four years of full-time coursework. You can obtain your bachelor’s and master’s degrees either in psychology or counseling.

The main difference, though, is that the fields of psychology and counseling have slightly different codes of ethics that you have to abide by and also would give you different credentials that you would be labeled with. Additionally, many master’s degree programs may accept students even from other disciplines (rather than psychology or counseling), as well.

The main courses you will take relate to the history and theories of psychology. You may also take courses in research methodologies in all levels of degree programs you are in. In your master’s program, you should take courses related to addictions, such as addictions counseling, family dynamics of addicts, substances, eating disorders, etc.

Throughout your education, you will be required to obtain training, such as by completing at least one internship.

You also have to obtain licensure. Each state varies on the exact requirements, but they all require licensure to “officially” become a counselor.

However, some entry level jobs may not require a license. It is also highly recommended to obtain a certificate in substance abuse counseling if you would like to work in that particular area of addiction counseling.

What Can You Do With a Master’s in Addiction Counseling?

Individuals with a master’s degree in addiction counseling may provide direct services to people with varied types of substance abuse issues. They may work with people of all ages in various stages of their treatment. In addition, they may also promote substance abuse prevention and education programs in a variety of organizations.

As an addiction counselor with a master’s degree, an individual may work as a substance abuse counselor and may have a variety of responsibilities. F

or instance, they may develop individual treatment plans, which include counseling and address co-existing mental health issues. They may also facilitate support groups and make referrals to other mental health agencies as needed. In many cases, master’s level addiction counselors may also provide family counseling to help family members learn how to support their loved one during recovery.

Individuals with a master’s degree in addiction counseling may also work in a specific capacity within the recovery process. For example, some individuals work as detox specialists.

As a detox specialist, addiction counselors work with clients during their initial recovery phase, which presents certain physical and emotional challenges. Counselors’ help clients work through this difficult first step toward long-term recovery.

Some addiction counselors also work as recovery coaches, which may involve helping clients identify triggers and develop strategies for coping with cravings. They may also provide one on one counseling to patients to help overcome issues, which lead to drugs use and adjusting to sobriety.

Another option for people with a master’s in addiction counseling is to work as a case manager at a substance abuse treatment facility or correctional facility. As a case manager, addiction specialists coordinate overall services for clients to help them obtain and maintain sobriety. Individuals with a master’s degree may also take on supervisory roles and become program managers.

What Skills and Qualities are Needed for an Addiction Counselor?

To be an addiction counselor, you must have good observational and analytical skills. You must be compassionate and patient with your clients. Your clients will quite possibly experience relapse. They might participate in their addictive behaviors even though they are trying and really want to change.

As an addiction counselor, you also need to be comfortable with emotions and willing to allow the expression of emotion. In doing addiction counseling, your clients are likely to have lots of unprocessed emotions that might come up if they decided to stop using substances or let go of some of their addictive behaviors. You should be empathic, nonjudgmental, and accepting of the people you work with as well as their families.

What is the Job Outlook for Addiction Counselors?

The job outlook for addiction counselors is expected to remain very strong for the next several years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the field will see 22% growth through 2021-2031, adding more than 77,,500 jobs in that time. Among careers in counseling, substance abuse and addiction are among those that have the strongest job growth.

Part of the reason jobs for addiction counselors will remain in great supply is because many states are moving towards rehabilitative services for drug offenders rather than just jail time.

Additionally, with the passage of the Affordable Care Act, treatment for mental health issues is now covered, further driving up demand as individuals seek mental health care for their substance abuse and addiction issues.

Another factor driving growth of addiction counseling jobs is that it is a highly specialized field that requires significant training. Some employers simply have difficulty finding qualified addiction counselors.

There is also a high turnover rate, as many addiction counselors leave the field within a few years, further increasing demand for qualified personnel.

What is the Salary for an Addiction Counselor?

The average annual salary of a licensed addiction counselor is about $61,811. This would vary, though, depending on where you work. For instance, you might get paid more on average if you work at a hospital rather than a local substance abuse clinic. Furthermore, top earners in this field earn well over $110,000 per year.

What are the Pros and Cons of Being an Addiction Counselor?

Addiction counselors have a very rewarding career with many advantages:

Rapid job growth – The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that there will be 31 percent job growth over the next half-decade in this employment sector. As a result, there are ample job opportunities for people with training as an addiction counselor.
Choice of employment area – Addiction counselors have many potential employment locations. Some work in private practice while others work in community mental health. Still others work for government agencies or private companies developing prevention and intervention methods to address substance abuse issues.
National certifications are available – Because national certifications for addiction counseling are available, certified workers in this field can move from one state to another without worry of having to meet new or different certification requirements. This makes addiction counseling a much more convenient job area than many others in the counseling field.
Opportunity to help others – Helping other people overcome their addiction and lead a healthier, happier life is an extremely rewarding aspect of this job.

Despite the advantages, working as an addiction counselor does have a few drawbacks:

Significant training may be required – Because substance abuse counseling is a specialty area, there may be extensive training and educational requirements beyond a typical college degree. This may mean that prospective workers have to spend several months to several years getting the necessary credentials to practice as an addiction counselor.
Frequent situations involving conflict – Like all counselors, addiction counselors often have to deal with a client that is angry, stressed out, or even violent. When working with individuals that have drug or alcohol problems, times of conflict can be even more acute due to the potential impact that drugs or alcohol might have on a person’s behavior and temperament.
Long hours – Addiction counselors may be required to work long hours, including on nights and weekends.

What Careers are Similar to Addiction Counseling?

Addiction counselors are likely best known for working with individuals that have a drug or alcohol problem. However, addictions counselors work with a wide range of clients with addictions related to gambling, eating, and sex, among others.

Because addiction counseling is quite broad, there are several occupations that are closely related to it. Among them are:

Substance abuse counselor – Counselors in this field specialize in working with individuals that are addicted to drugs and alcohol. Usually employed in a treatment setting, substance abuse counselors provide individual and group therapy that is traditionally focused on helping clients build skills that will facilitate their recovery.

Behavioral disorder counselor – Like substance abuse counselors, behavioral disorder counselors work in the field of addictions but focus their energies on helping clients overcome behavioral disorders like compulsive gambling, eating disorders, and sexual addictions. As with traditional addiction counseling, individual and group therapies are commonplace for behavioral disorder counseling.

Social worker – Social workers don’t usually specialize in working only with clients that have an addiction. However, social workers, just like addiction counselors, endeavor to help their clients overcome obstacles in their life that prevent them from reaching their optimum potential.

Where an addiction counselor might focus on a drug or alcohol problem as being an issue for a client to overcome, a social worker might help a client overcome poverty, unemployment, or a lack of education.

Psychologist – Much like social workers, psychologists may or may not specialize in working with addictions. Rather, psychologists can assist clients with a much wider variety of problems, ranging from depression and anxiety to personality disorders and psychoses.

The commonality between psychologists and addictions counselors is the focus on helping clients develop the skills they need to improve their daily functioning.

Rehabilitation counselor – The focus of rehabilitation counselors is to help their clients live as independently as possible. Like addiction counselors and the other related occupations listed above, rehabilitation counselors provide emotional and practical support to their clients. They develop treatment plans, procure resources for their clients, and advocate on behalf of their clients such that they receive the services they need to function at the highest possible level.

Addiction Counseling Careers [2024 Guide]