Personal Information
Prior to beginning the counseling process, it is vital for the counselor to gather some personal information from the client in an effort to assess the level of help or intervention that will need to be applied. Therefore, information concerning her personal and family history will be necessary. Furthermore, information regarding how often she engages in drug abuse will help to establish her level of addiction and thereby provide guidance on the intervention approaches that may be applicable to her situation. Further, obtaining family history information can help the counselor understand the cause of the drug abuse problem. For instance, Janet being abused by her uncle as a teenager may have led her to engage in drugs as a way to free herself of the traumatic experiences. Additionally, as a counselor it is necessary to determine if the client is aware that she has a drug abuse problem. Maslow’s taxonomy model can be applied in this case as it deals with motivation (Leise, 2011). Motivation is essential in counseling drug-using clients. According to Edwards and Loeb (2011), the outcome of therapy or counseling will largely depend on the client’s level of motivation.
Personal Biasness and Limitations
One of the most prevalent limitations is the client relapsing after having started the rehabilitation process. This can have negative consequences in terms of credibility as a counselor. In cases where the counselor was a drug addict or abuser, problems may arise. The economic status, sexual interest, and emotional state of the counselor may prevent the counselor from providing objective consultation or therapy (Hecksher, 2007). Furthermore, if the client is attached to the counselor, any form of stopping the expectations of the client either as a confidant, sexual or as love interest may cause the client to relapse in cases where the drug rehabilitation has begun (Hecksher, 2007). This causes the client to feel betrayed or misused and may cause the client to refrain from any future form of seeking professional help (Hecksher, 2007).
Some of the goals to be achieved from counseling would include helping the client to stop abusing alcohol and other drugs. Avoiding any form of relapsing would be significant, and this would require application of treatment strategies and inspiration to prevent the relapsing. Further, it would be vital to help the client develop a healthy and rewarding life where she can be able to support her three children so that they may have a different and better life. If the client refuses a goal that is bound to be helpful, it would be significant to use an approach that tries to illustrate the benefits of achieving the goal through the provision of practical examples. The most important goal is developing a healthy and rewarding lifestyle. This is important since the client will appreciate that she has children to take care for and who depend on her as a mother. Further, a healthy lifestyle would mean that not all aspects of her life are in chaos, and she can have the self-esteem and confidence to provide a better life for her children.
Theoretical Approach
The major theoretical approach to be used will be the theory of motivation. It will be critical to help the client make decisions based on the understanding of the positive and negative consequences that may result from her actions. Helping the client understand that her continued indulgence in alcoholism is destroying her life will be essential. The theory of motivation will help her understand that she has the potential to change her life by choosing the correct decisions. Further, this model would help the client understand that her situation has been related to a number of circumstances that occurred to her, and she will be able to release that she does not need to blame herself for her state. One of the techniques that will be used is the motivational interviewing, which seeks to change the health related behaviors of the client (Vinson, 2013). Journaling will help the client be aware of her feelings and will assist her in developing her self-esteem. Further, journaling will ensure that the client participates actively in the counseling sessions (Johnson, 2003). Additionally, it would be beneficial for the client to seek other areas of psycho-educational assistance, which may help her deal with her past traumatic experiences of sexual abuse and how to remain free form drug abuse. Three sessions per week would be recommended.
Therapeutic Progress and Success
Success will be based on the client’s level of participation in the intervention programs that will be recommended to her. This will be significant because it will indicate the client’s willingness to change. Further, it will be easy to indicate that there is behavior change in the client. Additionally, this approach will provide a way of assessing the level of motivation of the client in response to the various intervention programs.
References
Edwards, J., & Loeb, S. (2011). What difference does counseling make? - The perceptions of
Drug-using clients on low incomes. Counselling & Psychotherapy Research, 11(2), 105-111
Hecksher, D. (2007). Former Substance Users Working as Counselors. A Dual
Relationship. Substance Use & Misuse, 42(8), 1253-1268.
Johnson, S. L. (2003). Therapist's guide to substance abuse intervention. Amsterdam: Academic
Press.
Leise, C. (2011). Classification of Life Enrichment Skills. International Journal of Process
Education, 3(1), 19-32.
Vinson, D. C. (2013). Patient abusing alcohol or drugs? Help starts with a single
question. Journal of Family Practice, 62(2), 63-69.
