Alcohol addiction can be a damaging ailment, one that potentially damages a person’s very being, leaving them disconnected from society, and sometimes even reality. This is very detrimental to the individual’s future prospects, both personal and professional, and if the addiction is not counseled against, the alcoholic may very well damage their health permanently.

Alcohol Counseling Best Practices

When it comes to alcohol counseling, it is better to nip the problem in the bud. The sooner the problem is tackled; the better the chances will be of the alcoholic recovering. Also important are the practices which comprise the counseling program, some of which are as follows.

Bear in mind that these practices need to be taken into account in order to effectively counsel the alcoholic before the addiction has a chance to wreak further havoc.

Have a well constructed counseling plan

Different people have different counseling needs, all of which need to be considered when approaching the task. However, there are some counseling course stages which need to stay consistent throughout. This is why it is important to have a well-constructed counseling plan beforehand, so that when the counseling process actually starts, the counselor will already have a plan of action, and will be able to track the progress of the alcoholic.

Be very confident with the initial approach

The very first experience that the alcoholic has with the counselor is perhaps the most important. This is why the initial approach needs to exude confidence in both the counselor’s abilities, as well as the addict’s capability for recovery. The combination of both will instill confidence in the addict, regarding the prospect of their recovery. This is a very important asset, since it will encourage them to let go of the addiction sooner, rather than later.

Get to the reason behind the addiction

Often when a person starts to resort to a substance to bring them a measure of comfort, there is an underlying reason behind this. It could be a plethora of domestic issues, or lagging performance at work. In any case, it is important for the counselor to get to the root cause of the issue, before they get to the recovery phase of the counseling plan. Knowing why the addict got addicted in the first place will help the counselor guide the alcoholic in staying away from the cause, which will aid in recovery.

Work alongside, not over the alcoholic

Perhaps the most important factor of all is that the counselors not suggest, during the counseling session, that they are in any way superior to the alcoholics. This is extremely detrimental to the confidence of the addict, since they do not need a patronizing and overbearing voice; rather a gentle and accompanying one, which they can search for beside them, not above them.

When counseling the person in need, always make sure to make them feel at home and comfortable. This will allow the person to pour their heart out more than they would do with someone who expresses superiority.