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Addiction and challenges of a counselor
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Through the exploration of the Old and New Testament regarding counseling and addiction, one is imperative in understanding the other. The Bible speaks very highly of counsel, due to the learned discernment and instilling purpose. With counsel from God and those appointed as healthy in Christ, one gains wisdom and is able to continue the cycle of teaching, counseling, and modeling a Christ like lifestyle. This process is impossible without the need for help and guidance. The cycle is somewhat similar in addiction, however the words explored in this section all have the ability to be detrimental, as well as, the ability to have a good purpose. For example, wine was used ceremonial and for offerings to God. However, wine was abused, and
There are many different definitions in which people provide regarding addiction. May (1988) describes that addiction “is a state of compulsion, obsession, or preoccupation that enslaves a person’s will and desire” (p. 14). Individuals who suffer from addiction provide their time and energy toward other things that are not healthy and safe. The book
As a Christian counselor, we have the power of the Word on our sides, but so many of us do not understand how to properly apply scripture into the counseling relationship in an effective manner. In Interventions that Apply Scripture in Psychotherapy, Garzon (2005) attempts to accomplish the following; educate individuals on the various techniques one can use to apply scripture, and to encourage and stimulate God ordained creativity in the hopes to create new techniques and methods for applying God’s Word in the counseling relationship.
Smyth, N. (1994). Addictions counseling: a practical guide to counseling people with chemical and other addictions/The addiction process: effective social work approaches/Clinical work with substance-abusing clients (book). Social Work, 39(5), 616.
Some counseling strategies we can draw from scripture such as cognitive therapy (McMinn, 2011). Also, it can lead to a direction for dealing with any guilt or resentment. Second, scripture can support certain principles in counseling such as religious imagery (McMinn, 2011). Other examples would include support for dream analysis, retreats, or small groups (McMinn,
Gerald May does an incredible job of integrating spiritual concepts and theology into the treatment of addictions in his book Addiction and Grace. He clearly asserts that all humans are born with the desire for God’s love. This desire is what gives our lives personal meaning. Addiction is defined as any personal attachment that takes an individual’s focus away from God. As human beings, we all have addictions; personal attachments that can be viewed as positive or negative. Addictions are not limited to substance abuse (i.e. drugs, alcohol, and food). Addictions can also include behaviors (i.e. love, work, family, exercise). It can be difficult to view loving someone as a negative addiction; however, Gerald
...ives from the implementation of an empathic, hopeful continuous treatment relationship, which provides integrated treatment and coordination of care through the course of multiple treatment episodes” (Watkins, 2015). Whether, confronted with a substance use disorder, gambling or sex addiction the way in which a counselor work with the client in an open helpful manner is the key to motivating the client to change their behaviors. “A man convinced against his will, Is of the same opinion still” (Carnegie, 1981). The most piece of the helping relationship is that the client is the lead in their care, as they are the ones that will be making the decisions for their care. A counselor is essentially a trained skillful teacher that guides an individual toward their best recovery options and it is up to the individual to make the needed changes in their life and behaviors.
In the book, Addiction & Grace: Love and Spirituality in the Healing of Addictions, May explores how addiction develops and can be treated from a psychological, physiological, and spiritual standpoint. This theme is clearly shown throughout the text as it shows addiction from a whole person's perspective. The book covers the development of addiction from desire through the experience of addiction. The key focus is on looking at the matter of addiction from multiple stand points then broken down by explaining how addiction is an issue psychologically, physiologically, and spiritually. By focusing on these three areas, the author is able to present the reader with a clear understanding of addiction from all sides of the problem.
Kemp describes that addiction often arises through a pursuit of pleasure, or to reduce pain. (Kemp, 2009a). The addict seeks to avoid the world, often living a narrow set of relations to the world and those in it. (Kemp, 2011).
However, it does not matter how strong a person’s faith is or how weak a person faith is, everyone in Christian counseling starts off the same. It is a process how a person develops overtime. This is similar to a child learning how to tie his or her shoes. At first they do not get it but overtime, it becomes of habit and the person get better. According to Clinton, Hart and Ohlschlager (2005),” they believe that Christian counselling has to do with and learning applying the principles of the kingdom on living to the chronically sins, fears, failures, and dark areas of our life (p.21). When people are at their lowest point he or she turn to Christ to get the throughout tough times. Furthermore, in chapter two a person learns about the trust and fined our truth. In chapter two it discusses becoming a trust worthy counselor. In Chapter two, I realized that is all about gaining the clients trust. If the client, does not trust the counselor then no typ of relationship can be bonded. The client is in a venerable state and the counselor has to make sure that the can feel free to be
Capuzzi, D., & Stauffer, M. D. (2008). Foundations of addictions counseling. Boston, M.A: Pearson Education.
(Monroe, 2009) The Bible, which is the single guide for Christians to govern how to live for God, gives insight to the rooted concept of mindfulness-based relapse prevention. Paul writes “for those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the Holy Spirit” (Romans 8:5 NASB) Paul establishes first that all desires good and bad starts in the mind but are controlled by two different entities. The flesh entity, which seeks self-gratification, will desire selfishness, self-pleasing instruction to determine how it will satisfy or cope. The entity, the Holy Spirit, seeks to transform the mind, body, and soul to conform it actions to the thoughts that are holy. This same Spirit wants to take captive the thoughts and desires that will negatively impact actions. The Holy Spirit will also become the personal self-monitoring mindfulness that will provide individuals a new way of processing situational instances. In relapse prevention, “the individual is trained to develop a system for recognizing early warning signs of substance related cues”. (Katie Witkiewitz, G.Alan Marlatt, Denise Walker,
Biblical Counseling is making a strong impact in today's churches and community. Counseling is seen as one of the most productive ways of helping a
Without some sort of production we aren’t going anywhere, we are stagnant and begin to decay. When referring to television addicts Winn mentions that, “They are aware that it is an unproductive experience, that almost any other endeavor is more worthwhile by any human measure”, and I couldn’t agree more. She also states, “An addict does not merely pursue a pleasurable experience and need to experience it in order to function normally. He needs to repeat it again and again” (Winn 314). This sensation to repeat a negative behavior is the same in both addictions and what leads an addicted person to be completely unproductive. Granted one results in a quicker and often time, more serious destruction, while the other may take longer to feel the impact on their life. Eventually the draw is the same and the need to repeat something that is not productive takes over the need to do something that is productive. It may start small such as choosing to order out instead of making dinner, but then will morph into not taking the trash out, not doing the laundry and even skipping work. In the case of the drug addict, he chooses to go “score” his next hit instead of running that errand that he or she needed
Christian Drug Rehab Centers−Treating Today’s Challenges Drug addiction and/or alcoholism should be taken seriously, regardless of the stages of addiction. Alcoholic or drug addicted people have the right to be provided high levels of care and counseling in order to assist with recovery while bringing them back into a normal, healthy and stable lifestyle. The idea is to conquer this sickness as soon as possible (i.e. once the addiction is detected in people). Addiction caused serious health hazards and can endanger the life of the addicts, their families, along with the highly cherished social relationships.
Such attitudes are often based on a misunderstanding of addiction and its causes or sometimes most of the elders in the churches lack the education needed to counsel an addict. Education about addiction and advocating for effective public policy are critically important, too. They are necessary tools that churches need alongside recovery programs. Effective change involves prevention calling us to dig deeper and go further in our own education and advocacy by addressing the systemic and stealthy ways that addiction infiltrates our society. Extending addiction ministry to prevention and advocacy addresses the systemic root causes that lead people to need recovery programs in the first