Preface

Alcohol & Drug Problems: A Practical Guide For Counsellors

Susan Harrison and Virginia Carver

This guide is designed for counsellors who are in a position to help their clients deal with the harmful, sometimes devastating, effects of substance use problems. The book covers core considerations for the counsellor such as theories of addiction, motivational interviewing techniques, assessment and treatment planning, and relapse prevention - and addresses the needs of unique client populations such as youth, women, older adults, and clients living with HIV.

Feed back on the second edition, from both counsellors and those who use the book as a course text, helped guide the changes we have incorporated into this third edition, which we hope will continue to meet the needs of our readers.

We have fully revised and updated the text for this third edition, keeping in mind the feedback we received and the many emerging issues in the addiction field. New or completely revamped chapters have been added on harm reduction; smoking cessation; working with clients who have experienced trauma; working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, two-spirit, intersex and queer (LGBTTTIQ) clients; and working with Aboriginal clients. As well, new research findings, clinical experiences and case studies have enhanced the practical application of this guide.

We wish to thank, first of all, our authors, who have contributed their expertise and many hours of their time to this guide with one goal in mind - to reduce the harm related to alcohol and drug problems. We are again grateful to James O. Prochaska for contributing a provocative Foreword that challenges counsellors to expand the boundaries of our current clinical reach.

Since the second edition was published, many of its authors have retired or moved on to new areas of interest. For some of the chapters, reader feedback prompted us to reconceptualize the con tent and the approach to the topic, and we sought new authors’ perspectives. We are grateful to all our second edition authors for contributing to its success.

We also wish to thank our reviewers who volunteered to review and provide feedback on each of the chapters (in alphabetical order): Ari Blatt, Ana Bodnar, Christine Bois, Bruna Brands, Gloria Chaim, Rebecca Dempster, Luis Fornazzari, Allen W. Heinemann, Marilyn Herie, Eva Ingber, Dennis James, Peggy Kleinplatz, Michael Lester, Robert Mann, Megan McCormick, Cherie Miller, Robert Murray, Alan Ogborne, Michael Piercy, Rupert Raj, Linda Sibley, Ekuwa Smith, Kip Southam, Charmaine Spencer, Glenn Stairs, Mark Tyndall and Lyn Watkin-Merek.

We are also immensely grateful to Michelle Maynes, who co-ordinated the structural editorial work for this third edition, Nick Gamble for his copy editing skills and careful attention to the text and Mara Korkola for her design work. CAMH’s library staff helped many of the authors find the information needed to revise their chapters, and we are most grateful to them for helping all of us access the most current research on the topics. Tammy Williams, of the Central East regional office of CAMH, contributed her computer expertise to help us on the administrative side.

We also wish to once again acknowledge Betty-Anne Howard, who provided the initial inspiration for this book.

To these contributors and many others behind the scenes, thank you for your help in bringing this third edition to completion.

To our many readers in addiction and related fields, we hope that this guide continues to be valuable in your professional development and in your day-to-day work with clients.

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