Criminal Justice and Addictions Counseling

This is a Cognitive Behavior Theory (CBT) based A-Z treatment program for counselors and the therapists who deal with mandated clients such as drug court, prison, parole or probation. It is applied CBT rather than only theory. The focus is on helping clients to change criminal thinking and conduct. Change work is the key focus.

Methods and tools described here will show how to accomplish the NAADAC definition of counseling services: "The interactive process of providing assistance to a client to help him/her change and maintain attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that are more constructive in their recovery process. The counselor must determine the most appropriate type of assistance and the counseling interventions to facilitate the change in behaviors, attitudes and beliefs. Counseling services include individual, group, family, crisis intervention counseling and psycho-education.” (NAADAC)

Effective Communication Builds Trust. No matter what or who our practices entail, effective communication is imperative. It builds trust within the drug court criminal justice and addictions field.

Marriage and Family Therapists as well as social workers know the importance of communication in marriage or other relationships. Some say it’s the key factor in a successful relationship.

Meeting the clients where they are from the start is critical to creating rapport and a foundation for the counseling and therapy processes. (Beck 2011), NCAC and IC&RC credentialed clinicians (CSACs, CCJPs, etc.) are hopeful if not certain that we are communicating effectively with the clients. Too frequently our message may not be clear enough to our listener.

For this reason, assuring comprehension is important for both the clinician and client. This is because “the meaning of the communication is the response that we get.” Yet, our clients “… don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care” – (Theodore Roosevelt).

This is demonstrated by “responding to the client’s frame of reference” (Ready to Test, p. 242)6 by using all effective attending skills. We need to create a sensory experience so the client can see, hear and feel that we understand and care. This is verified by the work of Beck, p.277, Cognitive Behavior Theory, (2011). Active listening and reflective empathy are important as cited on Bova Books NCAC study guide, p 80, question 297.