ABSTRACT
The history of addiction counseling reflects efforts at using a variety of treatment and recovery models that either emphasize or downplay the biological, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of the substantial challenge to the health and wellbeing of individuals, families, and society. Neuroscience research offers the scientific underpinning for state-of-the-art addiction counseling models that are available to use in various combinations in an individualized, integrative biopsychosocial treatment plan. C. C. DiClemente emphasizes the importance of context in the initiation of substance use, particularly in relation to individual, parental/family, peers/friends, and social/environmental risk and protective factors. Culture and family may affect one’s access to substances and addictive behaviors and be intertwined with one’s ethnic identity. Interpersonal relationships play a role in the addictive process, and therefore, practicing sobriety skills, e.g., drink or drug use refusal and assertiveness skills, can reinforce behavior change.
