There are many mental health providers who have specialized in addiction as well. I am a LMFT who happens to specialize in many addictions and dual diagnosis, and I find it extremely frustrating when the professions: mental health and addiction, become territorial or think that a person "must" be seen by a provider from each. True, if one or the other does not have sufficient expertise in the other than it does leave them short in truly addressing the full scope of the addiction, as well as, the underlying issues that keeps the person stuck in the addictive process. There are many facilites that uses interns and certified counslors simply because the cost of doing so is not as much a hiring a person that has experience in both. What more, many facilities will hire one clinician to see the client, but the issues that are addressed are such that will not "open a can of worms" since the client may not be with the facility for more than 30 days. It is no wonder, and I say this cautiously because it is not a popular or politically acceptable to say, although among practioners, it is a growing question: that is, the ongoing belief that an addict "will always" be an addict. Many addicts having receive treatment for their addiction find themselves seeking psychodynamic therapy within a few years of getting "clean." They find that there is more to this recovery process than going to 12 step meetings and eventually leave them in search of finding a therapist that is equipped to help them go further in this process.
Looking at various curriculums within each profession, it appears that they are as much lacking in mental health as they are lacking in addiction. For instance, a marriage and family counselor would take a gamut of courses that focues on every aspect of the human psychodyanmics, but may have 1 course in Alcohol and drug abuse (on a graduate level). Alcohol and drug counselors would take a gamut of courses (usuallly 30 semester units) that focuses on aspect of addiction, but not so much on the other. One course in marital and family counseling at an associates or even bachelor level is hardly the same course provided on a graduate level.
What I have found is that the certified addiction counselor focuses on "not using." The licensed clininician focuses on the underlying behavioral, thoughts, and emotional dynamics that effects this type of client and what changes in these processes are necessary to reframe these choices in terms of relationship with the individual, as well as, those that have been impacted or will be impacted by them.
Finally, there is a huge difference between being "clean" and being "sober". I think therein lies the dilemma in these areas of practice.
People are very simple; however, the problem can be complex and confusion become a maze of just who to see for what. In fact, due to this separation of various problems within a person's functioning level and abilities, we as professional have sliced up the pie and become experts to address this or that aspect of this person's life processes. In reality, we need to keep in mind that every aspect of this person is intricantly related to the rest and if we do not address this as a whole, then recovery will only take them so far and yes, keep them vulnerable to a relapse. Unfortunately the cost of therapy versa the cost of addiction counseling is much higher. Medical insurance is not available to most of the addiction population. Out of pocket expense for therapy is prohibitive for most. But a 12 step meeting is free and with a good sponsor, there is an opportunity for this person to pull their life together enough to gain adequate resources to afford therapy down the road. In my experience, I have seen many recover totally when all aspect of this addictiove process, mental, emotional, and spiritual are addressed as a cohesive whole.
Edited on: 2011-10-08 17:13:48 by: Linda Pappas
Edited on: 2011-10-08 17:14:57 by: Linda Pappas
Edited on: 2011-10-08 17:20:19 by: Linda Pappas
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