5 Steps to Choose Best Counselor for Alcohol Addiction

Counseling and psychotherapeutic techniques and other interventions could be very beneficial in order for helping someone with alcoholism. A counselor will always be able to offer better assistance in form of guiding the individual who is suffering from alcohol addiction. Counseling with respect to alcohol abuse can create a huge difference in the life of an affected individual during the recovery process.

There are many alcohol rehabilitation services that aim to provide a simplified procedure for their treatment. The treatment plan may constitute different services such as rehabilitation services both inpatient facilities as well as outpatient facilities, therapies based on medical services, sessions for counseling, assisting with the help of interacting with support groups and other treatment options available for the person. The medically based treatment and other rehabilitation procedures are of particular time duration and they end up after few months.

 On the other hand, the counseling sessions and support group interventions are continued as an ongoing treatment process for a longer period of time in order to maintain the sobriety of an alcoholic individual.

 It is very important for an individual to look for such a person who could provide him enough comfort level to share things with. Someone with whom a person can talk his heart out will surely increase the speed of the recovery process as well as maintain the individual’s activeness in the recovery process.  One should take sufficient time in order to look for the appropriate counselor. It might happen that you try two or three counselors before you find the right one but that is very normal.

Let us look at some of the best ways for how to select a counselor as per your own wishes and requirements which are mentioned below:

1.    Look for the experienced one

The counselor who has had experience in providing counseling to the similar patients earlier will better be able to understand your needs and requirements in comparison to the unskilled one. You may get the list of those counselors who had experience with people suffering from alcohol use disorders on the internet along with their charges and different therapies that they provide.

2.    Check whether the proper license has been issued to the counselor or not

Holding a degree in clinical psychology or psychology branch does not make it obvious that a counselor possess a registered license in the respected field. Make sure you look for the licensed counselor with high credibility. This will help you in gaining a better understanding about the complaints that have been registered against the counselor as well as to look after the reviews given to the counselor with respect to his/her performance and patient’s satisfaction.

3.    Enquire about the therapeutic interventions used by the counselor

Different counselors use different types of therapeutic interventions depending upon the type of psychological condition they are treating. Some of the most common psychotherapy procedures used for alcoholism is the cognitive-behavioral approach, holistic therapy, and biofeedback mechanism. It may be possible that your counselor may use a combination of different therapies in their sessions. This will solely depend on the existing condition of the patient, the level of severity of the mental health condition as well as the success of the recovery process.

4.    Make a confirmation regarding your insurance plans

You may keep a check on your insurance plan whether it covers the cost of counseling as a part of your treatment process or not. If counseling is incorporated in your insurance policy, then the insurance providers will help you in giving a list of the counselors that have been covered under the policy as per terms and conditions. There are different types of insurance plans, some of which include the cost of all the counseling sessions while some of them may include a part of it.

5.    Take your gut feeling into consideration

Your gut feeling can get you in the right direction especially while deciding your alcohol counselor. In case you are feeling uneasy or are becoming hesitant in going at a particular place, then discard it from your list. Make sure to engage in an open conversation with your counselor and build a healthy therapeutic relationship.

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