The Colombo Plan Asian Centre for Certification and Education of Addiction Professionals Training Series

Curriculum 41
Basic Counseling Skills
for Addiction Professionals

MODULE 1—TRAINING INTRODUCTION

Module 1 Learning Objectives

 Explain the overall training goals and at least 4

objectives of the 5-day training
 State at least 1 personal learning goal
 Describe the concept and importance of
counselor style
 List at least 5 characteristics of effective
counselors

1.2
Partner Exercise: Introductions

 Howdid you become interested in the

counseling profession?

1.3
Training Materials

1.4
The Global Problem

 149–272 million people used illicit substances

at least once in 2009

Source: UNODC. (2011). World drug report 2011. New York: United Nations.

1.5
Substance-Related Disorders—
DSM-IV-TR
 Substance-Related Disorders
 Substance Use Disorders
Substance Dependence
Substance Abuse
 Substance-Induced Disorders
Substance Intoxication
Substance Withdrawal
Substance-Induced Mental Disorders

1.6
Substance Use Disorders

 Includes
the categories “Harmful Use” and
“Dependence Syndrome” of the World Health
Organization’s International Classification of
Diseases (ICD)-10

1.7
 The Global Problem

 15–39 million “problem drug users”

 “Problem drug use” was determined based on:
 The number of people reported to be dependent
on a substance
 The number who injected substances
 The number reporting long duration of use of
opioids, amphetamines, or cocaine

Source: UNODC. (2011). World drug report 2011. New York: United Nations.

1.8
 The Global Problem

 11–21 million people injected drugs in 2009

 About 18% of those who inject drugs are HIV
positive
 About 50% of those who inject drugs are
infected with the hepatitis C

Source: UNODC. (2011). World drug report 2011. New York: United Nations.
1.9
The Global Problem

 Globalconsequences of SUDs are far-

reaching and include:
 Higher rates of hepatitis and tuberculosis
 Lost productivity
 Injuries and deaths from automobile and other
accidents
 Overdose deaths
 Suicides
 Violence

1.10
 The Global Problem

 “There continues to be an enormous unmet

need for drug use prevention, treatment, care
and support, particularly in developing
countries.”
—Yuri Fedotov, Executive Director,
UNODC

Source: UNODC. (2011). World drug report 2011 (p. 9). New York: United Nations.
1.11
Training Series Goals

 Build international treatment capacity:

 Train
 Professionalize
 Expand

1.12
Curricula in the Series

 Curriculum 1: Physiology and Pharmacology

for Addiction Professionals (3 days)
 Foundational, not a how-to or skills-based course
 Overview of the physiology if addiction as a brain
disease and the pharmacology of psychoactive
substances

1.13
Curricula in the Series

 Curriculum2: Treatment for Substance Use

Disorders—The Continuum of Care for
Addiction Professionals (5 days)
 Foundational, not “how-to” or skills-based course
 Overview of recovery and recovery management,
stages of change, factors affecting treatment
outcomes, principles of effective treatment,
components of treatment, and evidence-based
practices, including couples and family counseling

1.14
Curricula in the Series

 Curriculum3: Common Co-Occurring Mental

and Medical Disorders—An Overview for
Addiction Professionals (2 days)
 Foundational, not “how-to” or skills-based course
 Overview of the relationship of co-occurring
disorders to one another and to related treatment
issues, and descriptions of commonly co-occurring
mental and medical disorders

1.15
Curricula in the Series

 Curriculum4: Basic Counseling Skills for

Addiction Professionals (5 days)
 Skills-based course
 Overview of the helping relationship;
intentionality, or focus, in counseling; cross-
cutting counseling skills; basic motivational
interviewing; teaching clients recovery skills; and
group counseling skills and psychoeducational
group skills

1.16
Curricula in the Series

 Curriculum5: Assessment and Intake,

Treatment Planning, and Documentation for
Addiction Professionals (4 days)
 Skills-based course
 Addresses effective, integrated assessment and
treatment planning and documentation as a
treatment tool

1.17
Curricula in the Series

 Curriculum 6: Case Management for Addiction

Professionals (2 days)
 Foundational and skills-based course
 Overview of case management in SUD treatment
and skills practice in case management functions
(planning, linkage, monitoring, advocacy,
consultation, and collaboration)

1.18
Curricula in the Series

 Curriculum7: Crisis Intervention for Addiction

Professionals (2 days)
 Foundational and skills-based course
 Crisis as a part of life, guidelines for crisis
management, managing suicide risk, and
avoiding your own crisis through counselor self-
care

1.19
Curricula in the Series

 Curriculum8: Ethics for Addiction

Professionals (4 days)
 Foundational course
 Addresses professional conduct and ethical
behavior, confidentiality, ethical principles and
professional codes of ethics, ethical decision-
making, and supervision and ethical practice

1.20
Curricula in the Series

 Curriculum
9: Working With Families in
Substance Use Disorder Treatment (3 days)
 Foundational and skills-based course
 Impact of SUDs on family systems; benefits of
involving family in treatment, engaging family
members, and providing family services
(psychoeducation, conjoint family sessions,
multifamily group counseling); differences
between family counseling and family therapy;
and importance of making referrals

1.21
Curriculum 4 Learning Objectives

 Describe the concept and importance of

counselor style
 List at least 5 characteristics of effective
counselors
 Define helping relationship
 Describe 3 types of reflective listening
 Demonstrate basic competence in reflective
listening

1.22
Curriculum 4 Learning Objectives
(continued)

 Describe and demonstrate asking open-ended

questions, affirming, summarizing, and rolling with
resistance
 Identify at least 2 effective counseling strategies for
each stage of change
 Demonstrate basic competence in 3 types of skills-
based counseling
 Describe basic principles of group counseling
 Describe at least 2 basic issues or tasks for each typical
group phase

1.23
Large-Group Exercise: Training
Expectations

 Write 2 training expectations on your index

card

1.24
Break
15 minutes

1.25
Guided Imagery: Special Person

1.26
Counselor Characteristics and Style

 The characteristics of counselors themselves

have an enormous effect on the treatment
process, especially in terms of the counselor-
client relationship

1.27
Counselor Characteristics and Style

 Clients who had the best treatment outcomes

had counselors who had the best
interpersonal skills, were the least
confrontational, and were the most empathetic

Source: Finney, J.W., Wilbourne, P.L., & Moos, R.H. (2007). Psychosocial treatment for
substance use disorders. In P.E. Nathan & J.M. Gorman (Eds.), A guide to treatments that 1.28
work (3rd ed., pp. 179 – 202). New York
Desirable Interpersonal Skills

 PersonalAbility  Warmth and empathy

 Genuineness  Positive regard and
 Immediacy respect

1.29
Personal Ability

 Psychologically healthy
 Comfortable talking about a wide range of
issues
 Self-aware
 Ability to set personal and professional
boundaries
 High level of knowledge and competence
regarding SUDs

Source: Finney, J.W., Wilbourne, P.L., & Moos, R.H. (2007). Psychosocial treatment for
substance use disorders. In P.E. Nathan & J.M. Gorman (Eds.), A guide to treatments that 1.30
work (3rd ed., pp. 179 – 202). New York
Genuineness

 Strong interest in helping others

 Can be in a relationship without playing a role
 Sincere desire to understand others
 Honest in his or her dealings with others

Source: Finney, J.W., Wilbourne, P.L., & Moos, R.H. (2007). Psychosocial treatment for
substance use disorders. In P.E. Nathan & J.M. Gorman (Eds.), A guide to treatments that 1.31
work (3rd ed., pp. 179 – 202). New York
Immediacy

 Attends to and shares what is happening

within the professional relationship
 Focuses on the issue at hand
 Attends to what is important to the client
 Adjusts easily and well to changing topics
when necessary

Source: Finney, J.W., Wilbourne, P.L., & Moos, R.H. (2007). Psychosocial treatment for
substance use disorders. In P.E. Nathan & J.M. Gorman (Eds.), A guide to treatments that 1.32
work (3rd ed., pp. 179 – 202). New York
Warmth and Empathy

 Genuinely friendly
 Demonstrates “humanness”
 Accepts that client where the client is
 Shows understanding

Source: Finney, J.W., Wilbourne, P.L., & Moos, R.H. (2007). Psychosocial treatment for
substance use disorders. In P.E. Nathan & J.M. Gorman (Eds.), A guide to treatments that 1.33
work (3rd ed., pp. 179 – 202). New York
Empathy

 An active process of feeling with another

person, putting yourself in that person’s place,
having a good sense of what that person feels,
and (to some degree) understanding that
person’s feelings

Source: Finney, J.W., Wilbourne, P.L., & Moos, R.H. (2007). Psychosocial treatment for
substance use disorders. In P.E. Nathan & J.M. Gorman (Eds.), A guide to treatments that 1.34
work (3rd ed., pp. 179 – 202). New York
Positive Regard and Respect

 Positive regard is an attitude of respect

 Respect is the action; respect is demonstrated
 An attitude of regard involves suspending
judgment, being open-minded, and being
objective
 Being respectful means demonstrating
sensitivity and being trustworthy
 Linked to belief that people can and will solve
their problems
Source: Finney, J.W., Wilbourne, P.L., & Moos, R.H. (2007). Psychosocial treatment for
substance use disorders. In P.E. Nathan & J.M. Gorman (Eds.), A guide to treatments that 1.35
work (3rd ed., pp. 179 – 202). New York
Journal: Self – Assessment

 What strengths do I bring to my work as a

counselor?
 What areas might I need to work on?

Source: Finney, J.W., Wilbourne, P.L., & Moos, R.H. (2007). Psychosocial treatment for
substance use disorders. In P.E. Nathan & J.M. Gorman (Eds.), A guide to treatments that 1.36
work (3rd ed., pp. 179 – 202). New York
Lunch
60 minutes

1.37