Questions and more questions

• What do I do? by Private, 1/9/99
  • Let's get some other responses. by William Reid, 1/11/99
    • Something to consider--no guarantees... by Concerned, 1/15/99
      
      

Private...Your position presents me with a plethora of questions. How is your abuse and recovery history used in a therapeutic setting?. Can using your recovery experience blind your objectivity? How would you deal with issues that you deem important to address, based on your own experience, but not important to the patient? How would you deal with abundance of transference issues? Despite the fact that you "have been in their shoes", how can your own recovery make you a more qualified therapist than one who has not had problems with alcohol or drugs? I have had recovery addict clients who elected not seeing me upon first learning about my personal inexperience with alcohol or drugs; similarly, I have seen substance abuse clients who decided to see me because they didn't think that talking to someone with a similar history made any sense. If there are unanswered questions to any of the above you may need to resolve them before you start counseling.

Personal experience is relative, it can light just as it can light your path.

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