THE WOUNDED HEALER: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE RECOVERING SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELOR
Open Access
- Author:
- Ham, Carson
- Graduate Program:
- Counseling Psychology
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- June 10, 2009
- Committee Members:
- Jeffrey Hayes, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Jeffrey Hayes, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Brandon B Hunt, Committee Member
Susan S Woodhouse, Committee Member
Sherry Erhard Corneal, Committee Member - Keywords:
- substance abuse counseling
self-disclosure
countertransference
spirituality - Abstract:
- The purpose of this study was to better understand the lived experience of recovering substance abuse counselors in connection with the overall meaning and essence of being a recovering counselor, the use of self-disclosure, experiences of countertransference, and spirituality in one's work with substance abuse clients. A phenomenological methodological framework was utilized to better understand the lived experience of the participants from their point of view. In-person interviews were conducted with 10 substance abuse counselors who self-identified as being in recovery from an addiction. Through a phenomenological data analytic process various themes related to the constructs of interest emerged. Themes embedded within the overall meaning and essence of being a recovering substance abuse counselor included a strong commitment to helping addicts to recover, possessing empathy and understanding in identifying with clients, and having a personal experience of recovery that strengthens the therapeutic alliance. Although recovering counselors perceived their recovery as an asset in their work with clients, many felt concurrently ambivalent about being a recovering counselor. The self-disclosure construct yielded three themes including a tendency early in one’s career to over-disclose with clients, judiciously using self-disclosure today to establish rapport with clients, problem solve, or foster hope, and the problems that arise when self-disclosing with clients. Three resulting themes that emerged associated with countertransference indicated that participants experience origins of countertransference related to being reminded of family or self, that they experience emotional and behavioral manifestations of countertransference, and that they employ management strategies such as awareness, supervision, and self-talk. Additionally, participants expressed openness related to spirituality, discussed the necessity of spirituality to recovery, and talked about how they work with clients around spirituality and resistance to spirituality.