Addiction psychotherapy—treating problematic substance use and addictions in individual therapy—is quite effective and can be deeply rewarding. In my experience, people enjoy the individualized nature of the work and the ability to work on the things that matter to them. For therapists who work with substance use, it's imperative that we bring a person-centered lens and view each individual as unique. To do this, the philosophy of harm reduction is an excellent guide and, I'm convinced, has to form the basis of any therapist's approach.

The conventional wisdom suggests that people with substance-use issues need to "hit rock bottom" in order to change, or be willing to commit to lifelong abstinence from all drugs and alcohol in order to be successful. However, these are myths, and they probably discourage people from seeking help. Instead, offering truly person-centered care means meeting people where they're at and identifying goals that matter to that individual. Sometimes, this means abstinence, while other times it means cutting back or using more safely.

In the world of addiction treatment providers, harm reduction has gotten a bad rap. Some say that it's akin to encouraging our clients to use drugs, or........

© Psychology Today