Addiction Treatment – A Small World

There are some lessons that a classroom or textbook can never teach. These lessons are learned on the ground, through experience or another counselor’s knowledge and mentorship. Counselors, especially those new to the career path, have the option to head warnings and advice or disregard them and learn the hard way. With this blog post we explore the addiction treatment industry and despite its size, how small a world it really is.

The treatment industry is composed of a diverse crowd. Those at the head of or working for treatment centers come from all walks of life and backgrounds. Some are clinical technicians while others are recovering addicts wanting to make a difference. There are likely very few other industries that have the breadth of diversity that this one does. Similarly, methods and modalities of treatment vary from center to center and counselor to counselor. Holistic treatment programs work hand in hand with hospital-based programs and even animal-assisted therapy, to name a few.

The industry comes together around the basic premise that there are millions of people in distress, at the lowest points of their lives that need help. The network of treatment centers across the United States is the most effective way to tackle the addiction epidemic that plagues the country.

The industry, while diverse, is also a tight knit community. As a counselor you will likely be referred clients from and refer clients to a multitude of facilities throughout the country. As such, one’s word and reputation is a known quantity from early on in their career. And reputation is an oft overlooked factor in a counselor’s success in the business. Yes, they may be competent and educated, they may even have excellent results, but their reputation will always precede them – both in their own facility and in their larger career goals.

There have been many instances where a counselor’s reputation has either catapulted them to the next level of their career or held them back from their true potential. Just remember that we don’t get too many opportunities to define ourselves as counselors and doing so positively from the outset is great advice.