Psychological services
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Psychological services · Aug 2021
"Day-to-day, it's a roller coaster. It's frustrating. It's rewarding. It's maddening and it's enjoyable": A qualitative investigation of the lived experiences of addiction counselors.
Psychologists in medication for addiction treatment (MAT) settings routinely oversee the work of addiction counselors as supervisors, administrators, and human resource specialists. Limited research has explored the lived experiences of counselors who work in programs that have scaled-up MAT in response to the opioid crisis in the U. S. ⋯ The main themes concerning responses of nonclients were positive feedback; others' narratives; negative feedback focused on the stigma associated with the treatment, the clients who receive it, and the counselors who provide it; and responses to anticipated negative feedback. Responses from clients were largely positive and focused on appreciation and respect. Psychologists in MAT settings can enhance the lived experiences of addiction counselors by helping them to savor positive feedback from clients and others, to recognize and appreciate their unique skillsets, and to recognize and address (not internalize) the multiple sources of stigma they encounter as addiction counselors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).