1. My essential question is, "How can a licensed therapist best serve a drug/alcohol addict?" My best answer is to involve the addict in individual & group therapy because it gives them the largest support system possible. As a therapist, it is your job to assist your client to the best of your abilities & when it comes to working with an addict, that means doing what you can to help them reach their goal of a sober life style. According to "Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction" from the National Association of Drug Abuse, having a large support system is one of the biggest keys to an addict's recovery. A licensed therapist can best serve their client by giving them the opportunity to have such a support system.
2. I realized that my first & second answer couldn't assist an addict reach their goal of a sober life style if you were to use them on their own. My first answer was to seek supervision or individual therapy on your own time as a therapist. Although this is a way you can help your client to the best of your abilities, it won't help them reach their goal on its own. I realized the same thing with my second answer, which was to incorporate cognitive-behavioral therapy with your drug or alcohol client. This is one of the most beneficial ways to serve your client but it lacks the outside moral support. Although that includes the support & guidance from the therapist themselves, it lacks to relativity to others & the support. I concluded that my third answer was the best because of my research & my mentorship. Through these two sources, I was able to realize that this component on its own can help an addict reach their goal because of my mentorship under Kele Stahl at the Pomona Community Crisis Center, "Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction" from the National Association of Drug Abuse & "Group Therapy" from GoodTherapy.org.
3. I think the biggest problem I faced was forming my essential question. At first my essential question was too general, it didn't focus on drug or alcohol addicts. I resolved this through Purther & Ogden, they suggested that narrowing down my essential question would also narrow down my research & help me find more specific answers.
4. My two most significant sources are my mentorship under Kele Stahl at the Pomona Community Crisis Center & "Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction" from the National Association of Drug Abuse. My mentorship is, by far, the best source I could ever come across because I was able to work with drug & alcohol addicts first hand & learn from the counselors themselves what worked & what didn't. I was able to observe & learn about each client, what their drug of choice was, their story, what they were going through. Being able to help facilitate the group therapies was a huge advantage in my progress. In general, the National Association of Drug Abuse provided many useful resources but the article that was most useful was "Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction". It outlined the best treatment plans that would work for every addict, no matter what their need. It emphasized what was essential, such as being observant to the individual's lifestyles & how to find a treatment plan that would be most beneficial to them.
5. I've been completely set on my career decision to be a licensed clinical social worker, or therapist. Being able to do my senior project on it & being able to have the firsthand experience I had at my mentorship makes me all the more sure of my decision. But besides that, I've definitely grown as a person along with my experience. I've always seen myself as open minded but I didn't really realize how judgmental I tend to be until my mentorship. I saw people of all lifestyles walk in through the door with these crazy addictions & these stories about their life that could belong in a novel. From this experience as a whole, I've become much more open to people & their intentions. I've found that although it's easier to expect the worst from someone, it's just as easy to be proven wrong. I've lost count of how many clients have proven me wrong & finished the program successfully & sober.
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