- How does 12-Step facilitation of treatment relate to your personal theory of life? What parts could you integrate if desired?
12-step facilitation of treatment is very much in line with my personal theory of life because I feel like people mimic those that they surround themselves with. By surrounding themselves with others working towards recovery and actively practicing sobriety, individuals will follow this behavior more easily.
In my own personal life, I like the idea of making amends. I think that this is something that a lot of people don’t do out of embarrassment. I try to apologize whenever I am at fault for something or recognize a way that I have negatively impacted someone else.
- How does 12-Step facilitation of treatment relate to your preferred counseling orientation? What parts do you see that you could utilize for treatment?
I think that using a 12-step program in conjunction with therapy is the best approach. I do not think that it is best used entirely on its own, since there a lack of therapeutic support in 12-step programs. However, used with cognitive behavioral therapy or another therapeutic approach to addiction treatment, the social support gained from being in a 12-step program could be extremely beneficial and something that I would recommend to clients.
The thing that makes me really wary of the 12-step approach is the reliance on God. A lot of people, especially in this area, are not religious and do not want religion pushed onto them. I think that everyone’s own personal beliefs should be respected, so I do not think that individuals working on addictions should be forced to surrender themselves to these religious ideas.
Patti's Addictions Blog 