What Is Addiction Phone Counseling for Family Members?
Changing Lives has offered the option of family phone counseling for many years. This has worked very well and continues to grow. Since I do not do psychotherapy but focus on addiction counseling for family members, phone counseling is even better than face-to-face counseling in many ways.
Phone Counseling vs. In-Person Counseling:
Family members and friends of men and women struggling with alcohol and drug dependence seek clear information and guidance about what they should do and what they should avoid doing “to help”. When working with family members, I don’t need to worry too much about body language and eye contact because they have no reason to hide their true feelings and thoughts. It’s a completely different situation with active substance users.
Of course, an obvious advantage of Addiction Phone Counseling is that it can be done literally anytime, anywhere, and between multiple households. Participants can stay relatively anonymous and don’t have to spend time or money on an in-person visit. They also avoid the risk of being seen by someone they may not want to encounter.
What will we discuss during a Phone Counseling Session?
Families often get confused about what’s normal. Many believe something has gone very wrong in their loved one’s life, but it’s hard to judge how serious or how far along it is. We consider what should be done (or not done) in this situation. I remember when my own son was struggling with substances during his teen years. Even I, the expert, wasn’t quite sure how far he had drifted from what’s typical, so to speak (sometimes, even counselors need to talk to other counselors).
Most people who contact me for phone counseling know they are in a crisis. Usually, the person is a spouse or an adult child. Often, the issue has been ongoing for years. Rarely does anyone reach out in the early stages. When a family is in crisis, most individuals are too close to the situation, and family members have become too emotional to handle things effectively on their own.
After 30 years of working with families and collaborating with treatment centers across the USA, I can help guide people to helpful, appropriate resources near their homes. When stress rises, our emotions often lead us to make poor choices. I can’t count how many times a family has called to discuss a facility they are considering, which could have been a costly and grave mistake for various reasons. Sometimes, the family decides to let the person with the problem choose a facility they prefer, which is like letting the patient play doctor. Don’t make that mistake!
At the end of a phone counseling session, family members have a clear plan of action for moving forward, backup strategies, and recommended resources tailored to their situation. The spouse, parent, or family member usually feels a renewed sense of hope. Family Phone Counseling helps people explore options and ensures they have done everything within their power to support their loved one.