Spirituality in Addictions Counseling

This book was designed to assist interested professionals in bridging the gap between Traditional Counseling and Addictions Counseling. The principles that evolved into those used in Addictions Counseling were instituted in 1935 with the advent of Alcoholics Anonymous. Since that time the vast majority of effective Addictions Counselors, although they had little to no formal education in traditional counseling or psychology, had successfully recovered from an addiction themselves and became skilled at guiding clients through the recovery process. Over the ensuing years, an independent Social model-12 Step related treatment industry grew and began to self-regulate and standardize their practices. They created tailored training and certification programs for Addictions Counselors. These treatment institutions and their Counselors were often successful where the Secular treatment model was not. What was the difference? Increasing attention from government agencies has prompted discussion of legislation that would require Addictions Counselors to obtain advanced traditional degrees and formal secular certification. With this transition, fewer Addictions Counselors will themselves be in recovery. Despite their training, secular Clinicians may not be aware of the vital systemic differences in counseling objectives and methodologies that are crucial to the addictions treatment process. This book was primarily written to introduce Traditional Secular Clinicians to the field of Addiction Counseling. It compares the Secular, Religious, and Spiritual Approaches to counseling with regard to their effectiveness in helping clients with addictive disorders. Also examined are the influences of 12 Step programs, the Placebo effect, and the power of Prayer in the recovery process. This book is not necessarily a "How to" manual, but rather an introductory guide for Clinicians to gain a greater understanding of the nature of addictions and a solution that has proven effective in their treatment. The success of 12 Step based counseling is not the 12 Steps per-se, but rather the Spiritual (non-religious) solution derived from them. It is the hope of the author that the information contained in this book will provide an insight into the proven effects of a Spiritual solution for addictions and assist Clinicians in guiding their clients toward lasting recovery and restoration of their lives.
About the Author: H. Spencer O'Neal, Dr.AD, holds degrees in Social Science, Educational Counseling & Psychology, and Addictive Disorders. He is a Licensed Educational Psychologist, Credentialed School Psychologist & Counselor, Certified Christian Counselor, and a Specialist in Addictions Treatment Counseling.