The unappreciated Addiction counsellor

While the job of addiction counsellor can be very rewarding it is not for the faint hearted. The time, energy and effort that is required to really be a great addiction counsellor is enormous. The job of addiction counsellor becomes a life of constant sacrifice and while rewarding comes with loads of abuse, disappointment, pain and sometimes heart break. To invest your all into someones recovery process and then to have that individual fall back into addiction can be devastating, heart-breaking and demotivating - the addiction counsellor has to pick themselves up and bring their all to those still in their care - the feeling of failing has to be hardest into motivation to try harder, be better and do whatever it takes for the next one.

The addiction counsellor does not do this as a career choice - the ones who make the biggest difference do it as a ministry. This is the only way we find the strength to do what the job requires. This becomes the biggest form of satisfaction when you realise the job is more about the bigger picture than your own life and fulfilment. While the addiction counsellor is often praised we ultimately know that it is not done in our strength and that the one who is really responsible for the change is God. The humble addiction counsellor often cringes at the compliments and recognition.

Unfortunately there is a view that rehab centres are money grabbing, profit driven places that care less for the resident than they do about the bottom line. While this may be true for a few the vast majority of centres are in it for the ministry. It is an entirely expensive operation to run a fully compliant treatment centre. The average salary of an addiction counsellor would shock most especially when one considers the absolute dedication and self-sacrifice it takes to do the job. There is no addiction counsellor that goes into this industry for the money - as an ex-resident once said - “there has to be easier ways to earn an income”. .

The addiction counsellor is often the one who takes the blame and the projected frustration from the loved ones of the resident that fails to sustain recovery. It is often easier to blame the counsellor than it is to see that the loved one is back to their old ways of manipulating. The most painful part of this is not taking it on the chin but rather knowing, without saying, that the loved one is heading back to addiction. Generally when the loved one falls back into addiction the relationships are then ruined and the counsellor carries the burden of perception that they were at fault. It is painful to go from hero to villain in a matter of seconds based on the behaviour of someone else.

This is not to say that the addiction counsellor is not ever at fault or that there are not many individuals playing the part of addiction counsellor without the correct qualifications or motives. There will always be a few bad apples but the vast majority are not like that. The vast majority of addiction counsellors are humble, person-centred, self-sacrificing individuals who have dedicated themselves to serving some of the most difficult individuals of society.

Let us appreciate the addiction counsellor - they are saving lives, changing people for the better, restoring family relationships, creating paths for great success and building a sense of worth and value in those that see themselves as worthless and valueless. They are the ones entering into the arena to fight addiction and bring the chaos to calm. They are the ones there when no other Proffessional could sort the issues out. They are the ones willing to fight for the life of the addict when everyone else is worn out and defeated.

A massive big thank you to the counselling team of Jahara for all the time, effort, dedication and sacrifice that goes into providing a place for those in our care to recover - for helping to bring the broken into a place of fulfilment, creating individuals that are capable of doing great and marvellous things with their lives and hopefully one day will pay it forward as they go on their journey. We salute you guys.

To all the counsellors out there keep your heads up. We appreciate you all.