Background: The opioid epidemic has created unprecedented challenges in the United States (US), including hundreds of thousands of lives lost to overdose in the past five years. Expansion of prevention and treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) is urgently needed, as evidence-based strategies exist but many remain unable to access life-saving…

As the integration of technology into schools is becoming prevalent, school counselors and educators must work together to identify students who may be suffering from digital addiction. As a student advocate and leader within their schools, school counselors are in an optimal position to educate school staff, students, and community members on the…

Substance use and other addictive behaviors can last throughout the lifespan and lead to other health issues. Adolescents are not immune to addiction or addictive behaviors and are more likely to experience curiosity and to engage in experimentation. Historically, addiction has been a topic that has been avoided or stigmatized. Further, the use of…

Internet gaming has become an increasingly popular activity among youth. Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is currently included in the "DSM-5" as a condition for further study. This article discusses the rationale and implications for the proposed disorder's inclusion to the "DSM-5." While IGD is a proposed disorder, it shares…

New developments in the treatment of mothers and infants affected by opioid addiction point to the promising effects of interventions that adopt a developmental perspective, occur concurrently with addiction treatment, and target the parent-infant relationship as early as possible. In this article, the authors provide general guidelines for…

This book identifies and addresses potential clinical issues for clients who have family members struggling with addiction, and offers concrete strategies for treatment. Viewing addiction as a family disease, Dr. Kelly explores the complex challenges faced by family members, examines the ways in which substance use disorders affect family…

This article examines the impact of childhood sexual abuse on young adult lesbians' sexual identity and their recovery from chemical dependency. The authors recommend that counselors assess for sexual orientation (past and present), sexual abuse, and possible dual diagnosis. Implications for counselors are discussed.

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.

Providing skilled treatment options for clients experiencing addiction is imperative to positive client treatment outcomes. As a prerequisite to providing efficacious addiction treatment, counselors-in-training are charged with the responsibility of understanding the affect of cravings on addiction relapse. This article presents 3 experiential,…

School counselors promote student social and emotional learning (SEL), which is fundamental to a school's academic mission. However, while recognizing the importance of SEL, many school stakeholders view it as secondary and/or important for only some students. To ensure delivery of SEL to all students, school counselors must embrace a service…

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.

This article outlines how group practitioners can harness creative strategies to assist addicted clients in verbalizing and addressing the losses associated with addictive disorders. This article overviews the implementation of an experiential process that includes a warm up activity, a psychodrama, and utilization of empty chair techniques to…

Mental health counselors, school counselors, and rehabilitation counselors, much like other professional counselors, encounter clients whose lives are somehow affected by substance use and addictions. Although counselors regularly encounter substance-dependent clients, spouses, children, and/or employers affected by substance abuse, training in…

A paradigm shift in counselor preparation is underway. This change is driven by a number of forces, as highlighted in this article, which are moving chemical dependency counselor preparation toward more formal educational approaches and consequently toward more professionalism. There are important differences between occupational training and more…