Consultant and Trainer
for Alcohol and Other Drug Services:
Treating Addictions
Assessing Stages of Change
- Simple but thorough overview of this model of change
- Overview of employing this model to help individuals change
- Overview of the Transtheoretical Model
- Psychological measures useful in assessing stages of change
- Employing the model to inoculate against counselor frustration and burnout when working with substance abusing individuals
- Tools for facilitating individual and organizational change
- Prochaska, J.O., & DiClemente, C.C. (1983). Stages and processes of self-change of smoking: Toward an integrative model of change. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 51, 390-395.
- Prochaska, J.O., & DiClemente, C.C. (1984). The transtheoretical approach: Crossing traditional boundaries of change. Homewood, IL: Irwin.
- Prochaska, DiClemente, & Norcross. (1992). In search of how people change: Applications to addictive behaviors. American Psychologist, 47(9), 1102-1114.
- Prochaska, J. (1994). Strong and weak principles for progressing from precontemplation to action on the basis of twelve problem behaviors. Health Psychology, 13(1), 47-51.
Recognizing that addictive disorders exist on a continuum of change from "denial" of the need to change to "maintaining" the change resulting from actions taken to alter one's behavior is an important position from which to consider "a drug problem." Visit these websites for information on Assessing Stages of Change:
Publications by Prochaska and DiClemente:
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Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
- Overview of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
- NIDA Publication on applying the Cognitive-Behavioral approach to treating cocaine addiction
- The Basic Principles of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy by Judith Beck
- FAQ on CBT - Beck Institute
- Bibliography about Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy is a particularly useful tool when helping individuals act on their desire to change their substance using behavior. Recognizing that how one thinks can affect how one feels and these feelings can trigger cravings to use, and drug-taking behaviors can increase a counselor's effectiveness when treating clients with addictive disorders. Visit these websites for information on this method:
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Alcohol Skills Training
- Applying Alcohol Skills Training to harm reduction
- Fromme, Marlatt, Baer, & Kivlahan. (1993). The Alcohol Skills Training Program: A group intervention for young drinkers. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 11(2), 143-154.
- Dimeff, Baer, Kivlahan, & Marlatt. (1999). Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS): A harm reduction approach. New York: The Guilford Press. (Paperback)
- Walters & Baer. (2006). Talking with college students about alcohol: Motivational strategies for reducing abuse. The Guilford Press. (Paperback)
Alcohol Skills Training is one of the most exciting recent innovations to be made available to counselors who work with college students who drink. Visit this website for more information on this approach:
Publication on Alcohol Skills Training:
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Relapse Prevention Therapy
- Counselor's Manual for Relapse Prevention with Chemically Dependent Criminal Offenders
- Clinical Guidelines for Implementing Relapse Prevention Therapy by Alan Marlatt et al.
- Relapse Prevention: An Overview of Marlatt's Cognitive-Behavioral Model NOTE: Distinguishes between a "lapse" and a "relapse"
- Controversial essay comparing the Marlatt and Gorski models
***Relapse Prevention Therapy is a systematic method of teaching recovering patients how to anticipate and cope with the problem of relapse. Visit these websites for information on this therapy:
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Motivational Interviewing
- Overview of Motivational Interviewing
- Supervisory tools for improving Motivational Interviewing skills
- Motivational Interviewing website
- Clinical issues in Motivational Interviewing
- Treatment Improvement Protocol for enhancing motivation for change in substance abuse treatment
- Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (1991). Motivational interviewing. New York: The Guilford Press.
- Bell & Rollnick. (1996). Motivational interviewing in practice: A structured approach. in: Treating substance abuse: Theory and technique., edited by Rotgers, Keller, & Morgenstern. New York: The Guilford Press.
- Perkinson, R.R. (2004). Treating Alcoholism: Helping Your Clients Find the Road to Recovery. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. (PDF Chapter Excerpt) (Paperback)
***Motivational Interviewing attempts to encourage people to take on responsibility for their own life and to deal with their problems themselves. It acknowledges that unless people themselves see the need to change, no lasting change will ever be achieved. Visit these websites for more information on this method:
Publications on Motivational Interviewing:
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Harm Reduction
- Principles of Harm Reduction
- Harm Reduction Tips (PDF)
- Harm Reduction Strategies
Viewing alcohol and other drug use as a function of psycho-social and socio-economic factors, and addressing these as they impact personal choice and behavior RE use, may result in a reduction of use and dependence. Visit these websites for more information on Harm Reduction:
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Solution Focused Brief Therapy
- Overview of Solution Focused Brief Therapy and its application
- Key Points of Solution Focused Brief Therapy
- Reading list on Solution Focused Brief Therapy
***Solution Focused Brief Therapy is a goal-directed, future-oriented, competency-based approach. Visit these websites for more information on this technique:
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Social Norms Campaigns
- Overview of Social Norms Campaigns and their application
- Social Norms Campaign resources
- Montana Model of Social Norms Marketing
- Example of a successful Social Norms Campaigns
Social Norms Campaigns approach influencing individual behavior by correcting the misperceptions held about normative behavior in one's peer group. Visit these websites for more information on this method:
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Other Methods and Resources
- Directory of self-help books
- Information on how other drugs affect the brain and behavior
- History of the American Temperance movement
- Guide for counselors on psychotherapeutic medications (PDF)
- Alcohol publications
- Other drug publications
Visit these websites for additional alcohol and other drug intervention methods and resources:
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Top Organizations
- The Network: Addressing Collegiate Alcohol and Other Drug Issues (from the U.S. Department of Education)
- The Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention (from the U.S. Department of Education)
- College Drinking: Changing the Culture (from the NIAAA)
These are among the premier sites on the web for information related to alcohol and other drugs issues in higher education. Visit these sites for general information, programming ideas, model programs, and links to resources on the web:
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