The average pay for an addiction counselor is about $47,000 a year. The demand for addiction counselors is expected to grow by 25% over the next eight years.
Mental health issues increased stress, and poor lifestyle habits lead many to become addicted to drugs and alcohol. If you think you can help them as an addiction counselor, you have to take certain steps to start your career.
Keep reading to find out how you can become an addiction counselor.
Why Do You Want to Become an Addiction Counselor?
You probably know that you have a long road ahead to become an addiction counselor. An addiction counselor position usually requires a bachelor’s degree. Some positions ask for a graduate degree.
You’re going to enroll in at least four years of school. Drug and alcohol counseling is a tough job. You will have difficult days.
It’s important to understand why you want to pursue this work. That is what will get you through the challenges of school and your career.
Analyze Your Strengths
What skills do you have that make you a good addiction counselor? You might have first-hand knowledge of addiction and can show empathy towards patients.
Listening and motivational skills are important in your work. If you don’t have these skills or you’re weak in these areas, develop them.
Enroll in a Counseling Program
The next step is to take classes in addiction studies. There are plenty of counseling and psychology programs available, but not many specialize in addiction.
The program should provide practical treatment information and theory. You don’t want to just learn theories and have no idea how to apply them.
It should also fit your lifestyle. If you’re already working, you might need a hybrid learning approach. You get the benefits of going to school with the convenience of online classes.
Find Work as a Counselor
Get to know your school’s career department early on. They’re the ones who will help you find a job after school.
You’ll need to gain experience as a counselor. This will eventually lead to getting licensed in your state. You’ll have to take the state board exam.
Be sure to check your state’s licensing requirements. Your education program has more information about getting licensed as well.
Choose Your Career Path
As you gain experience in different counseling settings, you might find one more suited to your strengths. For example, you might find that you’re more comfortable working in recovery centers than in government organizations.
Other areas to consider are hospitals, individual service providers, and residential rehabilitation centers. You could also work with an agency that works with homeless people with substance abuse issues.
Another option is to establish your own counseling practice that specializes in addiction and substance abuse. This isn’t recommended right out of school.
You want to gain experience on the job, establish professional networks, and learn about running a business. Running your own practice requires a completely new set of skills you should build up over time.
Further Your Education
You’ll reach a point in your career where you know you want to grow, you’re just not sure in what direction. It may be time to explore getting an advanced degree.
A master’s or Ph.D. degree does open the door to more job opportunities. You have to weigh the costs of going through a program with the benefits of a new job.
It’s a time commitment to go to school, not to mention the costs of getting a graduate degree. You’ll take on a lot of debt, which impacts other life goals.
You might want to buy a home or go on a long vacation to Europe. It’s hard to do those things when you’re saddled with a ton of student loan debt.
You assume that you’ll be able to get a higher-paying job than the one you have. Be sure to weigh how much you will earn with an advanced degree against the costs of going to school.
Establish Your Expertise
If you want to have an incredible career as an addiction counselor, you’ll need to think and dream big. You can create your own path to become a thought leader in the industry.
How do you do this? Get active online. As you gain experience and knowledge as an addiction counselor, you’re likely to see the same issues.
For instance, you might see insurance companies become a barrier to treatment methods that work. You could see how the cost of substance abuse treatment prevents many from getting the care they need.
Whatever the issues are, you can bring them to light. You can also bring solutions and ideas to the table to create change.
If you want to build your expertise, you’ll need to create a personal brand. Then, create your social media accounts and post regularly about substance abuse issues.
Podcast interviews are another way to build your credibility. These are usually 15-60 minute long interviews with people with an interest in mental health and substance abuse issues.
If you do build your expertise, you could take that further into speaking and writing. These are often opportunities to earn extra cash.
Your Career in Drug and Alcohol Counseling
There are a lot of opportunities to have a thriving career as an addiction counselor. Critically evaluate your skills and why you want to have a career in drug and alcohol counseling.
The most important part is to choose the right education program. That will determine your ability to find employment and grow your career.
Do you want to know more about the health industry? Check out the Medical section of this site.
