Intuitive People Skills

Summary

The text discusses the nuanced balance between structured and intuitive approaches in addiction counseling, emphasizing the importance of both evidence-based practices and adaptive problem-solving skills.

Abstract

Addiction counseling is likened to an intuitive and adaptive process, akin to troubleshooting, where counselors must navigate both rigid and flexible aspects of treatment. The author reflects on the necessity of adhering to strict protocols for tasks such as license recertification and client scheduling, which include mandated hours for individual and group counseling, as well as specific life skills instruction. However, within the realm of individual counseling interventions, there is room for the counselor's personal expertise and intuition, with techniques such as Neurolinguistic Programming and various "best practices" therapies being employed. The author acknowledges a preference for a more intuitive approach, drawing parallels to the hands-on problem-solving often seen in technical troubleshooting or assembling children's toys, and suggests that this skill can be invaluable in the unpredictable nature of addiction rehab.

Opinions

The author admires the intuitive problem-solving ability, similar to hands-on troubleshooting, and wishes to apply this more in addiction counseling.
There is a recognition of the importance of following strict guidelines in certain areas of addiction treatment, such as recertification processes and client scheduling.
The author implies a level of frustration with the rigid aspects of addiction treatment, particularly when they conflict with more intuitive or flexible approaches.
A personal strength in assessment and crisis intervention is identified by the author, suggesting a preference for these areas within the counseling spectrum.
There is a subtle critique of the demand for adherence to specific counseling systems or techniques that may not align with a counselor's individual skills or the unique needs of clients.

During the Many Tasks of Addiction Rehab

Addiction Counseling is like a dart board game, only the counselor has to hold the dart board.

If I have to fix something broken or do something technical, I fool with it for a while, and it seems to go together or get fixed.

Maybe it’s called troubleshooting and fixing things intuitively, not an uncommon experience for fathers who put together the kids’ bicycles on Christmas Eve. Some people have a natural ability to understand and address technical issues through hands-on exploration.

I long to have that skill in greater abundance. It can save a lot of time and frustration.

In addiction treatment, approaching problem-solving in some areas seemed very instruction-bound, while in other aspects of drug rehab, I had to wing it. And when I flew to the wrong sore spot, it was a doozy.

There was no wiggle room in the license recertification process. The boss subscribed to a technical website, and we had to sit in front of the screen, reading and answering multiple-choice questions. If you didn’t score what was requisite, you didn’t get the necessary hours to recertify.

Another tightly fixed area was the schedule. Clients had to have so many hours of individual counseling, group counseling, and a required number of life skills instruction classes. Some of the topics seemed set in stone, such as smoking cessation, sexually transmitted infections, bad things that happen to the baby inside the mom, and trauma and abuse information.

The only thing that was free to choose from was the individual counseling “interventions.” My strength was in assessment and crisis intervention. Once, when a supervisor pressed me to name my counseling system, I seemed stuck until I remembered using Neurolinguistic Programming. The straw boss wanted to hear “Rogerian reflective listening,” “Gestalt,” or whatever was in vogue during that far-away decade.

Nowadays, it’s required to use “best practices” techniques like motivational interviewing, cognitive-behavioral therapy, humanistic therapy, psychodynamic therapy, solution-focused therapy, systemic therapy, and existential therapy.

It’s all two chairs: someone who wants to talk and someone who’s willing to listen.