3 answers
Kyleigh
Student
Oak Harbor, Ohio
4
Questions
Asked
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What is the most challenging part of being a substance abuse counselor?
I'm currently working on a project for my career class as a sophomore in high school, and I'm wondering what struggles someone in this field may go through.
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3 answers
Chinyere Okafor
Educationist and Counseling Psychologist
1186
Answers
Port Harcourt, Rivers, Nigeria
Updated
Chinyere’s Answer
Hello again, Kyleigh,
This is a brilliant question that shows you are interested in the realities surrounding the career as well as the career itself.
Being able to provide clients with emotional support without becoming emotionally exhausted is one of the hardest aspects of working as a substance misuse counselor. Your clients can often be in pain, frustrated, or afraid, and occasionally they relapse after making progress. When you genuinely want to see someone thrive, it might be difficult to watch that happen.
Keeping boundaries is another major challenge. Therapists need to strike a balance between professionalism and empathy; they should be compassionate without taking on another person's problems. The ability to remain composed when supporting others during difficult times requires practice and discipline.
Emotional exhaustion is another issue. Counselors depend on supervision, peer support, and self-care to maintain their own health because hearing about trauma or witnessing clients relapse can be taxing over time.
Finally, since recovery isn't a straight line, patience is a struggle. Some individuals could be resistant to assistance or quickly lose trust. Counselors learn to trust in improvement, even if it happens slowly, and to celebrate little wins.
Nevertheless, the majority of those working in this sector will tell you that the benefits of helping someone start over, mend relationships, and find hope again greatly exceed the difficulties.
Kyleigh, you already show the maturity that will make you an excellent counselor in the future by being aware of these truths. This is the kind of question that builds strong, caring professionals, so keep asking it.
Best wishes!
This is a brilliant question that shows you are interested in the realities surrounding the career as well as the career itself.
Being able to provide clients with emotional support without becoming emotionally exhausted is one of the hardest aspects of working as a substance misuse counselor. Your clients can often be in pain, frustrated, or afraid, and occasionally they relapse after making progress. When you genuinely want to see someone thrive, it might be difficult to watch that happen.
Keeping boundaries is another major challenge. Therapists need to strike a balance between professionalism and empathy; they should be compassionate without taking on another person's problems. The ability to remain composed when supporting others during difficult times requires practice and discipline.
Emotional exhaustion is another issue. Counselors depend on supervision, peer support, and self-care to maintain their own health because hearing about trauma or witnessing clients relapse can be taxing over time.
Finally, since recovery isn't a straight line, patience is a struggle. Some individuals could be resistant to assistance or quickly lose trust. Counselors learn to trust in improvement, even if it happens slowly, and to celebrate little wins.
Nevertheless, the majority of those working in this sector will tell you that the benefits of helping someone start over, mend relationships, and find hope again greatly exceed the difficulties.
Kyleigh, you already show the maturity that will make you an excellent counselor in the future by being aware of these truths. This is the kind of question that builds strong, caring professionals, so keep asking it.
Best wishes!
Don Holland
Member Service Representative/Food Runner
244
Answers
Austin, Texas
Updated
Don’s Answer
Hello Kyleigh,
There are many different challenges that come with being a substance abuse counselor. Here is a list of things that happen with clients, counselors and some systematic challenges that makes things difficult. Hope this helps!
List
-Easy for emotional burnout for counselors
-Things can be difficult ethically for counselors and they have to follow many different laws or regulations
-Building trust with clients is not always easy
-There are limited resources due to things like high demand and large case holds.
-Challenges when it comes to expectations from your job or your own personal expectations
-Many clients relapse once if not more than one time
-Some clients don't have the motivation or trust that they will be able to get through this difficult time
There are many different challenges that come with being a substance abuse counselor. Here is a list of things that happen with clients, counselors and some systematic challenges that makes things difficult. Hope this helps!
List
-Easy for emotional burnout for counselors
-Things can be difficult ethically for counselors and they have to follow many different laws or regulations
-Building trust with clients is not always easy
-There are limited resources due to things like high demand and large case holds.
-Challenges when it comes to expectations from your job or your own personal expectations
-Many clients relapse once if not more than one time
-Some clients don't have the motivation or trust that they will be able to get through this difficult time
Eva Hogan
5
Answers
Arlington, Virginia
Updated
Eva’s Answer
I'm not exactly sure about substance abuse, but I do know someone who worked in homeless outreach and opioid overdose prevention (so a little bit of an overlap). As a case worker, she was given an area of the city, and she went out and walked each day to find her clients (homeless individuals) to get them housing vouchers. This often meant getting them to important appointments, getting them new documents (IDs, birth certificates, etc). She often went to court with her clients as well. Once she moved into a government position, she worked on grant management, helping organizations like the one she used to work at. She managed the funding and the programing, and ensured that funds were spent in an appropriate way to prevent and lower opioid deaths. I think the most challenging part for her was always feeling like she had the world on her shoulders - she felt like she couldn't turn off after work because it truly meant that people could die. I think it's important to know and to figure out a way to ground YOURSELF before you get into a career like this. What fills your cup, so that you can fill others? If you're burnt out, you can't help anyone. What does your friend/family support system outside of work look like?