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Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselor

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AVG. SALARY

$57,180

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EDUCATION

Master's degree

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JOB OUTLOOK

Increasing

Interviews

Insider Info

"Everyone -- absolutely everyone -- makes a difference," says Robert Chapman. "We touch the lives of countless people as we pass through this life. Each life that we influence in turn influences others. I've come to realize that we're all on the earth for that one reason: to make a difference for having been here. And if we're diligent, that difference will be a positive one."

At LaSalle University in Philadelphia, Chapman affects many lives as a coordinator of various drug programs, a member of its adjunct faculty and a drug and alcohol counselor. With more than 20 years of experience, he's past president of the New York State Council on Alcoholism and has developed community-based programs in higher education for the Seneca Nation of Indians.

He also writes and lectures extensively on counseling around the world, including consulting with addictions professionals in Russia and the Ukraine.

"I came to addictions counseling via the back door. It was the pursuit of advancement, knowing the right people, having some wonderful breaks and discovering why I was on the face of the earth," he says.

"There's no small gesture of kindness, no act of courage, no effort exerted when tired or frustrated or busy that doesn't bear fruit," says Chapman.

"While individuality is important and should be cherished, the pursuit of that individuality can be like the fence that you put up around your property. It can keep undesirables away, but it can also, if you are not careful, keep you penned up inside."

Bonnie Kauder is the director of adolescent outpatient services at a treatment facility in New York City. She's also a recovering user of alcohol and drugs.

"This isn't about curing," Kauder explains. "Nobody gets cured the first time around. As a counselor, I can only plant a seed for recovery and hope that the person learns something from it down the road.

"This is very frustrating and very difficult. People who abuse drugs or alcohol do it because they like to get high, and as a counselor, we need to understand that. We can help people get sober and stay sober. We have to show them that it can be done."

Kauder hasn't used alcohol or drugs since 1978. She started a career in counseling seven years later. "This is my calling. It's my way of giving back. I abused alcohol and drugs as an upper-middle-class teenager. This is the one thing that I know about. I may not know about architecture. But I do know about substance abuse. I just feel that this is what I was meant to do."

Another counselor entered the profession through a different door. "I'd always been interested in counseling, but a speaker at my college really got me motivated," says Steven Dashiell. "I'm very happy with my career choice and enjoy every day. I like to work with people."

Dashiell performs intakes and assessments, and has treatment plans approved by a supervisor.

Contact

  • Email Support

  • 1-800-GO-TO-XAP (1-800-468-6927)
    From outside the U.S., please call +1 (424) 750-3900

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