Mental Health Counselors and Substance Abuse Treatment: Advantages, Difficulties, and Practical Issues to Solution-Focused Interventions

Mental health counselors increasingly work with a wide variety of client issues, including substance abuse. This article addresses the use of solution-focused counseling as a viable treatment option for clients who experience problems with substance abuse and addiction. A brief overview of traditional substance abuse treatment is offered. The basic assumptions of solution-focused counseling are then discussed, and differences from traditional approaches are delineated. Benefits of using solution-focused counseling with substance abuse issues, such as the collaborative and client-centered nature of the approach, are presented; and sample interventions are described. Difficulties to using solution-focused counseling techniques with substance abuse issues are also discussed.