The Pros And Cons Of Counseling Psychology

In the earlier days, psychologists who made a decision to choose the counseling specialty are now worried about the focus changing which seems to be happening today. Counseling psychology’s main goal was to help people get a clearer understanding of who they are, make better choices, and to create a plan for their lives. Today, counseling psychology is closer to the area of clinical psychology which helps people with mental illness and disorders, changing behaviors or personal problem solving. There is a loss of identity of the counseling psychologist which is leaving some critical human needs untreated (Tyler, 1992).

Today there are many aspects of counseling. I am interested in a career as an addictions counselor due to the consequences

Treatment is relevantly new. Before the disease model became widely known and accepted individuals who abused substances were viewed to be violating all social rules and often treatment consisted of a huge fine, time in jail and even the whip or lash. Now professionals use a disease model which views alcoholism or drug abuse as a progressive and incurable disease however treated through abstinence. Over the years the disease model ascended and was the basis for treatment. Some of the most important years that were marked were the

I am interested in treating individuals that have addictions in either inpatient or an outpatient setting. I realize that there are many components that make up the integrated approach which is through relationship-building, assessment and evaluation, diagnosis, problem solving, relapse prevention strategies and reviewing client progress, reinforcing relapse prevention and assisting with aftercare. I believe by education, internship, volunteering and experience will only help to build some of these skills needed to be an addictions counselor. Also I believe that personal experience that includes past addictions will be most useful. I know that by having an awareness of my own habits and my own addiction problems I will be able to better assist a client with their own addiction struggles. When a counselor is able to disclose their own difficulties and build a relationship with their client it will only enhance the counselor’s expertise in the addiction counseling field. Another way to convey expertness is to have street knowledge or be able to explain the dangers of different drugs. If I am not able to identify or I am not familiar with a particular substance I can research the information and be able to convey it to my client hence helping to increase