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Grand Canyon University
Rhodesha Wilford
Group Counseling Theory and Practice
The counselling group which I selected is a treatment for adults who are addicts. Addiction refers to a state where one loses control over substance usage despite the harm caused or associated negative consequences. I selected this counselling group because addicts go through so much and need counselling to get their life back on track. Due to addiction, addicts lose their jobs and sources of livelihood because most organizations do not tolerate substance use or alcoholism. Addicts lose a sense of self; they get to a point where they do not have their priorities right and do not understand their capabilities. Addiction is very hard to undo since it changes the user’s brain and creates a compulsion to use (Inanlou et al., 2020). Recovery from addiction is a lifelong process, and I would love to be part of the journey for some people although I already am a part of some people’s journey of linking them to different providers currently. The first few weeks of recovery are tough for addicts since they experience withdrawal symptoms. Counselling addicts is a way of helping a larger community; their children, parents and spouses.
The population that I will be serving would be the where I currently work as a Mobile Crisis worker. Statistical reports show a lot of addiction-related deaths are reported in the region. One of the most common addictions in the region is opioid addiction; the number of cases reported is still high despite the regulations put in place to put it to an end. Recent statistics show that over 12% of the residents in this state have been reported to be using illicit drugs. For this counselling group, I intend to have a total of 12 sessions. The counselling will run for three months; hence, a one-hour weekly session will be adequate for the counselling group. The number of participants for the counselling group will be 10 participants. Ten participants are a manageable number; I have selected this number to ensure they get the best from the group and each individual is heard.
The main goal of the counselling group will be to understand the causes of addiction among the participants. Understanding the root of addiction will help develop effective solutions for different participants. The second goal of the counselling group is intervention; the aim is to intervene to help put the addiction to an end. Lastly, the counselling group will be used to develop strategies to help avoid relapses (Cheron & Kerchove d’Exaerde, 2021). Relapses are very common among addicts; many people find it very hard to remain sobber and will tend to go back to using.
References
Cheron, J., & Kerchove d’Exaerde, A. D. (2021). Drug addiction: from bench to
bedside. Translational Psychiatry, 11(1), 1-14.
Inanlou, M., Bahmani, B., Farhoudian, A., & Rafiee, F. (2020). Addiction recovery:
A systematized review. Iranian journal of psychiatry, 15(2), 172-181.