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Recovering Individuals as CounselorsRecovering Individuals as Counselors– “I’m in recovery too…so you can trust the suggestions I give you.” -· “I’ve been there, done that, so I ‘get’ where you are coming from.”· – “When I was in early recovery I wouldn’t trust normal people. But now it makes me better suited to helping you.”Back in 1989, James Royce, in discussing an early treatment program in the mid-1940s, reported that recovering alcoholics had been part of the treatment team even though they did not have professional training. The empathy that recovering alcoholics had from their own experiences was recognized as a valuable contribution to treatment (Royce, 1989).Generally their motives are good. They may want to give back as a way of showing gratitude for the help that was given to them. Or they may have had bad experiences with treatment and want to do things differently so others won’t have to suffer. Perhaps they are passionate about recovery, and want to focus on that. There is no question that

recovering counselors and therapists bring to the therapeutic relationship passion, energy and personal experience that can be a tremendous asset.An assumption has been made in the field that the attribute of being in recovery is sufficient for effectiveness as a drug/alcohol counselor.Q: What are your thoughts/opinions on the above statement? Do you think being in recovery is sufficient for being effective as a counselor? (Support your answer).Q: In your opinion, do you need to have experienced the impact of alcoholism and/or drug addiction in order to have “credibility” in the field of recovery? (Support your answer).Q: What are some skills that make an individual an effective drug/alcohol counselor? In your opinion, would the individual in recovery who has little training and good interpersonal skills be as effective as a trained individual, not in recovery?  Please make sure to follow the questions and write a good discussion pleaseAnswer preview………………………………..apa 715 words
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