Counselling for Alcohol Problems, third edition, is a practical and bestselling guide to working with people who have problems with their use of alcohol. It is the key book recommended by most alcohol counselling courses in the UK, including the Scottish national alcohol counsellors training scheme. The author provides clear guidance for counsellors and demonstrates the need to treat every client as an individual, attempting to understand and therefore enable the client to understand, what they are doing and why. This new edition includes: - New content on the current political, social and counselling context surrounding alcohol use - A wider range of case-studies - New ideas that help students and trainees develop the skills and strategies they need for working with their clients - Further guidance for generic or non-alcohol counsellors who face alcohol problems with their clients. This third edition is an invaluable resource for practitioners, both those specialising in work with alcohol misusers and those who encounter problem drinkers in the context of a more general counselling practice.
Building upon generic concepts and skills of caring and helping, this book provides a foundation for addiction practice by health and social services professionals. Chapters emphasize knowledge considered essential in each area, and each chapter identifies skills required and suggests topics for further study.
What the Science Shows, and What We Should Do about It
While knowledge on substance abuse and addictions is expanding, clinical practice lags behind. This book describes what treatment and prevention would look like if it were based on the best science available.
Understanding and Working with Substance Misusers explores the complex nature of addiction and the challenges involved in responding effectively through policy and practice. It examines the biopyschosocial elements of addiction to substances (including alcohol) and, draws together key research findings from these fields to present a new framework for integrating theory and practice. The book argues that the best way to understand addictions is as examples of "complex self organising systems", which comprise many interacting component parts. In so doing, it addresses the problem of service users presenting with multiple needs (including poly drug use, mental health problems, criminal behaviour, unemployment and relationship difficulties) and the challenges that this poses for policy makers, services commissioners and practitioners alike. This book fills the need for a text which makes the complex issues surrounding substance misuse accessible to both students and practitioners. As such, it fosters a multidisciplinary and critically reflective approach to policy and practice.
Understanding and Working with Substance Misusers explores the complex nature of addiction and the challenges involved in responding effectively through policy and practice. It examines the biopyschosocial elements of addiction to substances (including alcohol) and, draws together key research findings from these fields to present a new framework for integrating theory and practice. The book argues that the best way to understand addictions is as examples of "complex self organising systems", which comprise many interacting component parts. In so doing, it addresses the problem of service users presenting with multiple needs (including poly drug use, mental health problems, criminal behaviour, unemployment and relationship difficulties) and the challenges that this poses for policy makers, services commissioners and practitioners alike. This book fills the need for a text which makes the complex issues surrounding substance misuse accessible to both students and practitioners. As such, it fosters a multidisciplinary and critically reflective approach to policy and practice.
This practical and comprehensive guide will prove invaluable for all those in the helping professions who are working, or wanting to work, with clients taking prescribed drugs. Describing the uses and limitations of psychotropic drugs, their effectiveness and impact on the counselling process, Diane Hammersley lays down guidelines for assessment, drug withdrawal and the appropriate counselling approaches to consider while clients are still taking drugs or are withdrawing from drug use. She also explores more complex problems - such as overdosing, psychotic episodes and antisocial behaviour - and suggests when and how to counsel and when to refer on. Providing a sound theoretical base and factual information, backed up by useful case examples, the author shows how clients' underlying and often deep-seated problems cannot really be solved until they are drug free and have recovered from their drug use. This clear and accessible book will encourage counsellors to work in this area with more confidence, and will help them provide the support their clients need both during the stages of their withdrawal from prescribed drugs and to get the maximum benefit from the counselling process.
The authors focus on `hard-core' alcoholics who have not responded to the usual treatment programmes. Their approach attempts `to help clients convince themselves' of their problem. They look both at out-patient groups in-patient services.
The authors describe, illustrate and discuss the problem of substance abuse, current theory and research in causes and risk factors and alternative intervention approaches. These issues span topics of epidemiology, treatment, prevention, programme planning and evaluation. Particularly noteworthy is the material on the evaluation of intervention programmes and the dissemination of these programmes outside the research function. This text should be of interest to professionals. researchers and students in clinical psychology, child and adolescent psychology, social work, nursing and evaluation methods.
