A Contemporary Approach to Substance Abuse and Addiction Counseling: A Counselor's Guide to Application and Understanding

Straightforward and reader-friendly, A Contemporary Approach to Substance Abuse and Addiction Counseling provides a basic understanding of the nature of substance abuse and addiction, its progression, and clinical interventions for college/university, school, and community/mental health agency settings. Focusing on clinical applications and how-tos, this book will help counselors and counselors-in-training more fully engage in the helping process, find creative approaches for working with struggling clients, and embrace a holistic approach to assisting clients on their journey toward healing and recovery.

Topics covered include drug classifications; assessment; working with ethnically diverse clients, the GLBT population, and women; the continuum from nonuse to addiction; developmental approaches in treating addiction; relapse prevention; grief and loss in addiction; group counseling; working with families; spirituality; addictions training and ethical issues; understanding and applying the 2009 CACREP Standards for Addiction Counseling; and counselor self-care. Real-life case examples throughout the text and exploration questions at the end of each chapter will captivate students and facilitate discussion.

This is the first addictions counseling text I have found that accurately describes and addresses the real work done by substance abuse counselors. It is written by authors who have extensive experience in treating addiction and who are in touch with addictions counseling as it is actually practiced. I have searched for such a text for years; I will definitely be adopting it for my addictions counseling course. --Charles F. Gressard, PhD, College of William & Mary

Brooks and McHenry deliver in ways that will help prepare the next generation of excellent addictions counselors. I believe that this book deserves a place both on your bookshelf and in your classroom. --W. Bryce Hagedorn, PhD, University of Central Florida

Brooks and McHenry deliver in ways that will help prepare the next generation of excellent addictions counselors. I believe that this book deserves a place both on your bookshelf and in your classroom. --W. Bryce Hagedorn, PhD, University of Central Florida