Professional counselors have long been practicing in alcohol and drug treatment settings. However, only recently has the counseling field offered formal recognition of addictions counseling as a specialization through the implementation of accreditation standards for addiction counseling training programs. With the passage of the 2009 standards,…

The authors review the current state of credentialing for addiction counselors in the United States and provide recommendations to the addiction counseling field regarding national standards for credentialing.

Substance abuse counselors who address clients' spiritual development may provide more comprehensive counseling. This article presents an integrative supervision model designed to promote the spiritual development of substance abuse counselors-in-training, reviews the model, and discusses the implications for counselor education.

In this article, the authors discuss the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs' (CACREP) role in furthering the specialty of addiction counseling. After sharing a brief history and the role of counselor certification and licensure, the authors share the process whereby CACREP developed the first set of…

Self-reflection, creativity, and experiential education are effective teaching strategies for counselor educators. Understanding and conceptualizing client cases can feel overwhelming for counselors-in-training. This article describes how the process of case conceptualization can be enhanced through the use of film. A case example is provided of…

Process Improvement (PI) is an approach for helping organizations to identify and resolve inefficient and ineffective processes through problem solving and pilot testing change. Use of PI in improving client access, retention and outcomes in addiction treatment is on the rise through the teaching of the Network for the Improvement of Addiction…

As a universal theme, love touches each of our lives in different and unique ways. This manuscript addresses the often overlooked sense of grief and loss that occurs when our dreams of love are shattered. It also addresses how addiction and commitment conflicts impede intimacy and loving relationships. While movies, music, and books offer many…