As an addiction counselor, you should be an effective listener and have a strong desire to assist others. Good communication skills, respect for confidentiality, and establishing trust with clients are also critical. This may be the International how long does ayahuasca last Certification & Reciprocity Consortium’s (IC&RC) Alcohol and Drug Counselor Examination or Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor Examination. Or it could be an exam through the National Certification Commission for Addiction Professionals (NCCAP).
- Alcohol and drug abuse touch the lives of people of all ages, ethnicities, income levels, education levels, and gender; abuse is indiscriminate in that way.
- Some counselors have clients who are assigned by a court to get treatment; some counselors may be called on by family or friends to assist in an intervention.
- Continuing education is essential to maintain your addiction counselor certification and stay current with any developments in the addiction field.
- Professionals in private practice must be licensed by the state where they work.
- Professionals passionate about working with complex patients who struggle with impulse control, substance use, emotion regulation, and goal achievement may be interested in schooling for drug and alcohol counseling.
Addiction counseling is a professional field that promotes lifelong education and personal growth—not only for patients but also for practitioners. The training and best practices for SUD counselors are continually evolving, so you’ll want to keep professional development for counselors opportunities on your radar. Continuing education is essential to maintain your addiction counselor certification and stay current with any developments in the addiction field. Those with master’s-level degrees in fields such as psychology, social work, counseling, and related fields can provide individual counseling or may work in private practice. Counseling as a career is ideal for someone interested in working with individuals and groups to improve mental, behavioral, and emotional concerns. Professionals passionate about working with complex patients who struggle with impulse control, substance use, emotion regulation, and goal achievement may be interested in schooling for drug and alcohol counseling.
Steps to Become an Addiction Counselor
Dr. Posson notes that across the professional spectrum in California, only about 10 percent of therapists currently have experience in substance abuse counseling. Individuals seeking counseling and therapy are finding it difficult to find the trained professionals they need to help them conquer negative habits. The Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School educates future leaders in addiction counseling who provide evidence-based integrated care for substance use and co-occurring disorders. Choosing to become a substance use disorder counselor is a remarkable, meaningful, humanitarian career choice. A degree from the Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School will allow you to impact vulnerable individuals, families, and communities positively. Once you gain the necessary training and experience, you’ll have many professional options.
Fortunately, there are professionals who specialize in helping individuals overcome substance abuse problems and achieve long-term recovery. These professionals are known as addiction counselors, and they play a crucial role in the treatment and rehabilitation process. Most states require 415 academic hours of substance abuse counseling to qualify for work in the field, as well as a specific number of practicum hours. Each state has different requirements, so it’s important to find out how many hours you need based on the location where you plan to work. Along with academics and experience, most states also require that you pass an exam. Substance abuse counseling is a specialized and challenging job with its own certification.
Substance Abuse Counselor Certification Requirements
With hard work, you can become a successful counselor and make a positive impact on the lives of others. If you are learning about the substance abuse counseling field, we suggest starting with the basics. An addiction counselor (substance abuse counselor) helps people who have substance use disorders get treatment. They’re experts on the ins and outs of addiction and develop tailored treatment plans based on your specific addiction, needs and goals.
Step 2: Earn a Master of Arts in Counseling, Specialty: Addiction Counseling
Earning an addiction counseling degree online is ideal for students with substantial work or family requirements. If you’re ready to pursue addiction counseling https://sober-home.org/ as a career, it’s time to start making a plan. Again, requirements to become a drug counselor will vary depending on the location of the practice.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a treatment approach that focuses on changing thoughts and behavior patterns. Substance abuse counselors often use CBT techniques to help clients recognize the inaccurate thoughts and feelings that help maintain addiction. They also use CBT to teach new coping skills that help people find new ways to deal with cravings, relapses, and stress. Rather than seeing addiction as a personal failing, experts now view addiction as a brain-based condition that involves a complex interaction between genetics, brain circuits, the environment, and individual experiences.
You’ll typically need a minimum of a bachelor’s degree to practice counseling. As the prevalence of substance use disorder increases, many addiction counselors pursue an additional license as a mental health counselor. Several states have started recognizing the need for master’s-degree-level addiction counseling licensure and certification. But there are other reasons a graduate program is your best option if you’re looking for a long-term career in the substance use disorder (SUD) counseling field. You will gain valuable real-world experience working with highly qualified counselors.
Approaches to treating substance misuse and addiction have undergone many changes over time. In the past, addiction was often regarded as a character flaw or moral failure. John C. Umhau, MD, MPH, CPE is board-certified in addiction medicine and preventative medicine. For over 20 years Dr. Umhau was a senior clinical investigator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Use of this website and any information contained herein is governed by the Healthgrades User Agreement. By Kendra Cherry, MSEdKendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the “Everything Psychology Book.”
Some states require you to pass similar examinations for mental health licensure. Examples include the National Counselor Examination (NCE) and the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE). You may need to pass an additional counseling program or organization exam.
