Essay on Counseling the Latino Population in the U.S.

Psychotherapeutic counseling approach integrates psychotherapeutic and coping skills-training techniques with abstinence-based addiction counseling. The primary goals of treatment are to enhance and sustain patient motivation for change, establish and maintain abstinence from all psychoactive drugs, and foster development of (non chemical) coping and problem solving skills to thwart and ultimately eliminate impulses to "self-medicate" (Lewis, 2002) with psychoactive drugs.

The Psychotherapeutic counseling approach combines cognitive-behavioral, motivational, and insight-oriented techniques according to each client's individual needs. The therapeutic style is empathic, client centered, and flexible. Strong emphasis is placed on developing a good working alliance with the client to prevent premature dropout and as a vehicle for promoting therapeutic change.

The counselor attempts to work with and through rather than against a client's resistance to change. Aggressive confrontation of denial, the hallmark of traditional addiction counseling, is seen as counterproductive and antithetical to Psychotherapeutic counseling approach. Group and individual counseling are delivered within the context of a structured yet flexible multistage outpatient treatment program that also includes psycho education (PE) for both the primary client and his or her family; supervised urine testing to encourage and verify abstinence; and, where indicated, pharmacy-therapy for coexisting psychiatric disorders. Patient participation in self-help is encouraged but not mandated, and accepting the identity of addict or alcoholic is not required.

There is a lot of Latin American who are going through this. Teaching the client how to break the addictive cycle and establish total abstinence from all mood-altering drugs. Teaching the client adaptive coping and problem solving skills required to maintain abstinence over the long term. Supporting and guiding the client through trouble spots and setbacks that might otherwise lead to relapse.

Psychotherapeutic counseling views psychoactive drug addiction as a multi determined addictive behavior and maladaptive (self-medication) coping style with biological, psychological, and social components.................

ESSAY ON THE AMERICAS