“CLIENTS NEED TO KNOW YOU HAVE COMPASSION, EMPATHY AND A NON-JUDGEMENTAL ATTITUDE TOWARD THEM.” – TRISH EARNEST, COUNSELOR, NEW LIFE
Counselor believes in the power of the group
“I LOOK AT EACH CLIENT AS AN INDIVIDUAL, WITH THEIR OWN 'CHALLENGES’ THAT THEY BRING INTO TREATMENT.” – TRISH EARNEST, NEW LIFE
Non-judgement is “a big one,” Earnest says. Early in her counseling career, “heroin was a bit of a mystery to me, since I had never used it.” But, seeing the daily struggles of opiate users made her more empathetic toward those clients. “It's been eye-opening.” e rst step in providing help and support is guring out what each client needs.at happens at intake. “We have a very extensive intake process. We screen clients on the phone, rst, before they even walk in the door.” When she sits down with a new client, Earnest asks many questions – about their history of substance use, any past emotional or physical trauma, any previous attempts at treatment, family background and their present living situation. “I try to nd out what is motivating them now. Do they go to 12-step meetings? Do they have a sponsor? It's a pretty lengthy and in-depth process, so I can get a picture of where they are in the (recovery) process.” One dierence among the clients she works with is that a certain percentage have been mandated by a court to undergo treatment. “ey
can still recover, even if some of those who have been mandated to treatment are a little more resistant.” At New Life, working individually with each client includes not only psychological counseling, but also addressing a wide range of other life issues, such as nancial matters, coordinating medication, or helping clients nd supportive housing and other needs.at often involves partnering with a variety of public agencies and private service providers, Earnest notes. “We've become a very multi-faceted treatment center in helping clients in all areas of their lives.” One of Earnest's primary roles is leading therapy groups, which provide an eective setting for recovery from addiction. “When I have a group that works well together – when they learn to trust each other, talk about issues and help each other move forward toward better lives – that is very gratifying. You don't get that all the time in group, but there is a tremendous amount of power in group work that can provide a lot of support for people.” 17
Bethesda, Md. Once in recovery, Earnest began to see addiction counseling as a good career t and returned to school to earn the necessary certication. She completed her supervised clinical practice requirements, and joined the sta as a counselor about two years ago. Counseling professionals often say that the really important learning in their eld takes place on the job, rather than in school. One key principle Earnest has learned and applied in her years of practice is the importance of treating each client as an individual. “I do group therapy, but I still look at each person as an individual, with their own 'challenges' that they bring into treatment. We can't treat everybody the same. Clients also need to know you have compassion, empathy and a non-judgmental attitude toward them.”
Trish Earnest, an intake clinician and group therapist at New Life Addiction Counseling Services, has spent her entire career in counseling and teaching roles. But, it wasn't until fairly recently that she found her true calling as an addiction counselor. After graduating from college with a psychology degree, Earnest began her career working with troubled youth in a state-run facility, and also worked as a special ed teacher in a private, religious school. In 1995, Earnest sought treatment and recovery after her long-term addiction to alcohol, marijuana and cocaine. e addiction had led to the breakup of her marriage, a potential home foreclosure and the possibility of losing custody of her two young sons, then ages 1 ½ and 3 years old. To get her life back on track, Earnest completed six months of treatment and aftercare in a program in
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