While I was in class today, the topic of self-disclosure in counseling came up. Should you, or shouldn’t you? One young woman who works with substance abusers said that the counselors who are in recovery in her agency always disclose because it builds a stronger relationship with their clients. Really?
There is another woman in this class who I know to be a member of AA. After the other woman said her piece, she piped in, “I make no secret about my recovery. I have been sober in Alcoholics Anonymous for many years. In fact, I just celebrated 27 years of sobriety. (Applause from the class, which she fully intended to evoke. Why else would she say it?) Yes, I think you should disclose because the client will trust you more and because you know how to stay sober, they will feel more confident that you can teach them how to do so. Also, I can tell when they are bullshiting better than someone who hasn’t been there could. Because I know the program, I can ask them if they have talked with their sponsor or if they are going to meetings. It will just be better for the client to be working with someone who actually gets them.” So, counselors who aren’t in recovery cannot possibly understand addicts? Really?
There is no research to support that recovering addicts are more effective substance abuse counselors. In fact, even the professor pointed out that substance abuse counselors in recovery are only marginally more successful with substance abusers than their counterparts. During the period of time that I was doing substance abuse counseling, I found that the counselors who were not in recovery were often more effective. They had more rounded skills to offer their clients.
We all know by now that I cannot shut up. So, I commented after the AA member. I said that during my education in substance abuse counseling that several of our instructors suggested that if we were in recovery that we should not disclose that to the clients. They pointed out that many times this is an attempt of the client to take the focus off of themselves and put it on the counselor. The instructors pointed out that the fact that we were in recovery (or not) was irrelevant to the kind of counselor we were, it was about our education, our skill set, and our compassion. With sharp frankness, one instructor stated, “If AA is all you have, you haven’t got enough.”
I described scenarios to the class where the counselor in recovery often was not doing counseling at all, but instead given AA directives. I said many clients resented that. I told the class that AA was not the only way to get sober and when a counselor is only offering the 12-Step option, they are limiting the clients’ opportunities for recovery and their right to self-determination. Then I simply said, “Counselors in recovery do not make better counselors. Honestly, counselors who are not in recovery typically have more abundant resources, they actually draw on their counseling skills more than those who are in AA, and they do not try to ‘program’ people.”
After I finally shut up, I thought, “Wow! What has gotten into you?” A moment later I thought, “I don’t know, but I like it.” Still in disbelief over the AAer’s assertion, I bolted out of the class at the break. I was surprised to see two of the women in my class hurrying behind me. One was the young woman who currently works as a substance abuse counselor. She caught up to me and said, “Gosh, I just had to thank you for what you said in there. The recovering counselors at my agency always make me feel like I will never be as good as they are because I am not a recovering addict. You made me feel like I can be just as good.” I told her she could be; probably even better. Then the other woman stepped in and said, “I also wanted to thank you because I never felt like I would be able to be an effective counselor with substance abusers because I don’t know what it is like to be one. Now I feel like I can help them.” I smiled at her, squeezed her hand and said, “You can help them, just as you can help a person who suffers from an anxiety disorder. You don’t need to have an anxiety disorder to be effective with people who do. It’s no different with addiction.” She thanked me again.
People in AA are not the cat’s meow. They do not have any edge over other people. When you run into anyone who thinks they have the way, run! There is no one way. Does the elitism ever end?
Have I mentioned lately that I adore you?
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of a story my therapist tells me about a former patient of his, a nurse and an alcoholic. She went to about 3 AA meetings then stopped. She did not, however, go back to drinking. When she was questioned by someone at her workplace about her progress in recovery, she responded that she was still not drinking. When the person asked how her therapist was, she responded, "Oh, he's still drinking."
I think that's hilarious. I'm glad he's not "one of us". He was the perfect foil for me when all the HP stuff in the rooms was making me coo coo.
Can you imagine if counselors had to be bipolar to treat it? Depressed? Puuuuleeeeze.
Thanks VR, I think you're pretty special too!
ReplyDeleteVery good post. I did not have the boundaries necessary to be a therapist so I wish you luck. In my experience, some program people get overly developed in THEIR program. My Alanon sponsor never tried OA even at 200%IBW. An AA friend of mine in CoDA can hardly tolerate some AA mtgs anymore because the shares are so co-dependent in nature. And that's just people missing out on other 12 step programs much less the rainbow of counseling theory/technique in a graduate program.
ReplyDelete'An attitude of humility is invaluable, it is the mother of all virtues as it allows for learning to occur.' I had that on a bookmark and it stuck w/me.
Carry on, honorable student!
I WORKED WITH FORMER TYC COUNSELOR JACKIE DAISS,FORMER COUNSELOR GIDDINGS, FORMER UNION TREATMENT CENTER, AND SHE IS A NUTJOB APPEARS TO BE HIGH ON PILLS AND DEPRESSED WHICH MADE ME MORE DEPRESSED. SHE IS CO-DEPENDANT AND SHOULD NOT BE PRACTICING IN THIS FIELD.
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