The Perceived Impact of Recovery Experience from Alcohol or Other Drug Addiction on Learning during Masters-Level Training

Integration of addiction recovery and professional identities for counselor trainees

“…The development of a professional identity helps trainees to understand counselors’ roles, engage in decision‐making, and share foci and values of the counseling profession (Mellin et al., 2011). Participants expressed a desire to share and integrate their personal recovery identity into their professional identity development, consistent with previous research that emphasized the synthesis of personal recovery experiences into the helping skills and identity (Greene, 2015; Rácz et al., 2015). Despite a desire for identity integration, participants found disclosure of their recovery identity challenging to navigate and were met with judgment, shame, and negative evaluation.…”

An exploration of factors contributing to multicultural counseling self‐efficacy in addiction counselors

“…Additionally, other studies have found that non-recovering counselors report lower levels of self-efficacy and perceive their recovering peers to have an advantage when it comes to rapport building with clients (C. A. Greene, 2015;Oser et al, 2011). Despite these findings, recovery status had no significance on participants' confidence in their ability to effectively counsel racially diverse clients.…”

“…The second research question examined potential differences in MCSE based on counselor characteristics (i.e., recovery status, sex, race, and experience). Historically, recovery status has been an integral part of the addiction counseling profession (Culbreth, 2000; Doukas & Cullen, 2009; Doyle et al., 2008; C. A. Greene, 2015; Hecksher, 2007; White, 2000a). Prior studies have found that a substantial portion of their sample were made up of counselors in recovery (Culbreth, 1999; Knudsen et al., 2006).…”

“…Though no found studies have examined MCSE in this population, other studies have found that counselors in recovery report higher levels of professional commitment (Curtis & Eby, 2010) and utilize different treatment modalities and interventions than non‐recovering counselors (Simons et al., 2017). Additionally, other studies have found that non‐recovering counselors report lower levels of self‐efficacy and perceive their recovering peers to have an advantage when it comes to rapport building with clients (C. A. Greene, 2015; Oser et al., 2011). Despite these findings, recovery status had no significance on participants’ confidence in their ability to effectively counsel racially diverse clients.…”

Considerations for Preparing Prospective Alcohol and Drug Counselors

“…5,6 The few studies conducted on this area of research have assessed perceived recovery status impacts on supervisory relationships, 7,8 evidence-based practices, 9 and competence. 10,11 Simons et al 9 surveyed emerging counsellors and found that 53% of them were in recovery from substance abuse. Findings from this study suggest that recovering counsellors were more resistant to using evidence-based practices in alcohol and drug treatment compared to their counterparts.…”