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.

With spirituality as a cornerstone, 12-step groups serve a vital role in the recovery community. It is important for counselors to be mindful, however, of the potential for clients to be in spiritual bypass, which likely will undermine the recovery process.

Without a consensually validated definition and a set of diagnostic criteria, counselors lack the necessary assessment and treatment tools to work effectively with clients with process addictions and their families. Necessary criteria and the results of a needs assessment are presented.