Drug Addiction Counseling: these 7 no-nonsense tips reveal the secret to finding drug addiction counseling that can really help.

1. Start asking yourself some questions.

What are you trying to accomplish with drug addiction counseling? Are you looking for help in relapse prevention? Are you looking for someone to hold you accountable? Looking for group therapy, individuals there be, or a combination of both?

What fees can you afford? Will your insurance cover this? Hint-there is now a parity with substance dependency and other mental health issues recent laws are forcing insurance companies not to discriminate. Also individual counselors often offer a ‘sliding scale’ which means they will adjust their fees based on your ability to pay.

2. Develop a list of potential drug addiction counselors and their contact information. Most counselors are obtained through referral. So start asking family members, friends, 12-step members if they know anybody they would recommend. Another source is the Government locator Click Here. Just enter your zip code and set a radius and it will provide you with treatment providers. You can always call her rehab and ask for local referrals.

3. Start contacting substance abuse counselors. The phone contact is for setting an appointment; do not expect therapy at this point. It is also common practice to have no charge for the initial session which will allow you to see the counselor in person and get a feel for them, and to ask your questions at that time.

4. Ask the prospective counselors questions. Some questions you may consider asking: what is your experience? How long have you been a counselor? Things being equal look for a person who has been counseling a long time.

What credentials do you have? An important consideration on credentialing is that they have received state certification or state licensing (depending on the state) and substance abuse counseling. Substance abuse counseling is a very specialized field; a general psychologist or psychiatrist may not have the specialized knowledge that will help you.

5. Pay attention to your instincts. After your initial session think about how you responded to the counselor. Is there a potential for a connection there? Remember, it is not their job to become your friend, but they have to be somebody you feel comfortable with and are confident in. The most important thing in drug addiction counseling is the empathic connection between a counselor in the patient.

6. Develop treatment goals and a treatment plan. Working in conjunction with your therapist, it is very important to set treatment goals. These are platforms of progress, milestones along the road to recovery if you will. They should be formal and written down so there is accountability. They should be specific, and use time frames.

7. Look at your progress. Talk about your progress with your counselor. Are you moving forward? By new challenges in the levels being presented to you and are you working through them? Counseling is often about helping people who are stuck in getting them to a breakthrough point, but if you are not moving forward at all something might be wrong. A counselling session should be more than a friendly chat.

Bear in mind that a patient's time frame is almost always unrealistically fast, and it is difficult to note our progress from the inside out.

Following these tips should make your experience in drug addiction counseling a positive one.