The road to becoming an addiction counselor is not as long as some might think, and the job tends to pay fairly well despite the limited educational requirements. Best of all is the fact that the United States Department of Labor predicts steady job growth in the field of addiction counseling until at least 2016 based on data gathered in 2007. Whether or not the depression that began in late 2007 will have a marked affect on those predictions is impossible to comment on with authority at the time of this writing, but it stands to reason that growth will continue but competition may increase.
As a general rule the occupational title addiction counselor does not require a postgraduate degree in psychology and/or social work. Instead it is usually required that any potential applicant for a position as an addiction counselor hold at least a relevant certificate and an associate degree in substance abuse and/or addiction counseling. Having a bachelor degree in social work, psychology, or even human resources may allow one to compete for more lucrative addiction counseling positions available. It is also likely that experience will play a major role in landing higher paying jobs in the addiction counseling field.
Of course it helps to have an interest and honest desire to diagnose patients, administer psychological tests, offer counseling, keep and review meticulous records, work with other counselors, help others analyze their beliefs and understand the nature of their problems in order to create viable solutions and perhaps most of all, it helps to be patient. Not everyone is ready for a breakthrough right away regardless of what they may say. It takes an extremely positive mental attitude to continue trying to help those that do not always seem to want to help themselves and at times it can weigh heavily on one’s mind whether or not some patients can even be helped.
It is also important to know that addictions are not limited to chemical dependencies, or drugs. Some people have an addiction to gambling while others are addicted to sexual intercourse; an addiction counselor has to keep an open mind and be prepared to discuss virtually any topic that might come up.
According to the aforementioned 2007 Department of Labor study, the average salary of an addiction and behavioral disorder counselor was $37,830 in 2007. According to SalaryExpert.com, there are a few cities in which addiction counseling pays substantial premiums: Indianapolis, Phoenix (AZ), New York City (Specifically Manhattan), and Atlanta. Indianapolis is far and away the most lucrative location for prospective addiction counselors, but the other cities listed are all above the national average though it is likely that working in Manhattan for an average salary of $49,626 is not going to attract many addiction counselors as the area is notoriously expensive compared to Phoenix and Indianapolis.
There are down sides to working as an addiction counselor. As mentioned before, the job can be heart rending and disappointing and long hours and high stress simply go with the territory. Those with an intrepid nature might find addiction counseling a career choice or the first step in a career in psychology or social work.
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