Counselling Victims of Alcohol, Drugs and AIDS

Providing a supportive, caring environment for anyone seeking counselling help is a major consideration for any counsellor. Whether offering counselling skills in a private practice setting, or within a volunteer organisation being aware of the client’s individual needs, at all times, is an important priority. Understanding the specific needs and requirements of a client with specialist problems presents an opportunity to increase a counsellor’s skills and experiences.

Alcohol Abuse

With binge-drinking still on the increase alcohol abuse is becoming a regular feature in the counselling environment. A counsellor may have to deal with a client who shows early stages of problematic drinking, or an alcoholic with additional addictions. Alcohol awareness is a big part of the counsellor’s supportive relationship with a client who has a drink problem, and can be an issue across a variety of different age groups and backgrounds.

A counsellor, working with alcohol dependent clients, must demonstrate an understanding of the issues these individuals face on a day-to-day basis. Some counsellors provide support in a residential unit where alcoholics are submitted on a detoxification programme, which will also include regular counselling sessions. A counsellor however, may also find themselves supporting family members through crisis.

Drugs

Drug dependency, rather like alcohol abuse, affects others besides the dependent person. Family members may require some form of counselling support, at some time, and a counsellor must be drug aware and able to provide resource options.

Assisting a drug addict requires a greater knowledge of drugs, an awareness of the client’s psycho-stimulant drug use, and also expanded counselling skills. Some counsellors provide support on a 12 Step programme, where clients undergo drug withdrawal, whilst others work one-to-one with clients. This form of counselling can be relatively short-term - for instance 6 sessions – or a much lengthier period of intervention.

AIDS and HIV

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a fatal viral disease. Coming to terms with this prognosis can prove very difficult for many people. Overcoming the emotional stress, unique psychological issues and social isolation are just some of the difficulties a sufferer will present at counselling sessions. In order to provide the level of support an AIDS patient requires a counsellor will have to be armed with as much understanding, and knowledge of the disease as possible.

Counsellors can provide an important role in meeting the needs of clients, but they must be aware of their own attitude to the disease. They must also have up-to-the-minute information about AIDS on file, and be able to offer referral sources and social support options. Counsellors must also be able to direct the client’s anger and frustration towards other less destructive channels. Most importantly of all, however, a counsellor must be sensitive to the client’s needs.

Job Spec

Working with clients, who have addictive behaviour patterns or a number of dependency issues, can be exhausting work for any qualified counsellor, no matter how experienced. Working in a person-centred manner creates a supportive relationship that can reward clients in many ways. Counsellors wishing to explore this form of counselling skills support must therefore ensure their skills are kept up-to-date and all experiences are constantly related back into their counselling work.