Job Description

Addiction is a disease that affects millions of people in North America. Helping others overcome this extremely disabling condition can be a rewarding career. Through education and counselling, addictions counsellors help people overcome alcohol, drug, gambling, and other addictions.

Counsellors meet with clients who have addiction problems to discuss their strengths, weaknesses, and needs. For example, they may ask how often the person drinks alcohol or uses drugs. After identifying the clients' needs, they counsel, support, and encourage addicts through the recovery process.

Counsellors meet with the client on a regular basis, usually once a week. They develop a plan suited to the severity of each client's problem to help the client overcome the addiction. One of the most popular approaches is the 12-step plan that helps addicts by focussing on their self-image. Alcoholics Anonymous groups use this 12-step plan.

Addictions counsellors prepare written reports on each client's progress. They may also determine when clients no longer need counselling. If a client has not relapsed for a number of years, the client or the counsellor may feel confident enough to end the counselling sessions.

Some addictions counsellors may be responsible for educating a community on addiction prevention. For example, a counsellor may tour several high schools to teach young people about the dangers of addictive substances.

There is an opportunity to specialize in this field. Some addictions counsellors work exclusively with new clients, and others work only in referral services, outpatient counselling, day treatment centres, or detoxification programs.