Being a substance abuse counselor requires certain soft skills. Many of these you may have learned from different areas of your life, and during your training to become a substance abuse counselor. Certainly, there are many soft skills that can help you succeed as a therapist. Some of the important skills that will assist you in the counseling profession include:
Empathy It is the ability to identify and understand other people’s experiences, even if they do not describe their feelings or thoughts explicitly to you. A good substance use counselor can empathize with a wide variety of people, understanding their choices and opinions even if you do not agree with them. You will need to be emotionally attuned to their needs and be able to help them identify and articulate their feelings.
Listening Skills A substance abuse counselor needs to listen actively, giving total attention to what other individuals are saying, taking the time to understand the issues they raise, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Social Skills Good social skills can help you through the first few sessions of counseling when a person might be feeling so uncomfortable because he or she does not know you well.
Communication Skills It means you have to express yourself well either by persuading others or being able to explain to them what you need calmly. Strong and efficient communication skills can also help you make a new person feel comfortable.
Critical Observation It entails monitoring and assessing the performance of individuals so as to help them to make improvements or take corrective action.
Conflict Resolution It is the ability to persuade, negotiate and resolve conflicts. As a substance abuse counselor, you need to develop mutually beneficial relationships so that you can influence and persuade people.
Problem Solving It entails identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop, evaluate options and implement solutions. It is important for you to be able to explain how you approached the problem and what the outcome was in real and measurable results.
Persuasion It is the ability to persuade others to change their minds or behavior.
Suggestions on how to improve your soft and people skills.
- Connect with people
- Learn good listening skills
- Learn Pacing in conversations
- Manage your energy
- Learn to recognize and manage stress
- Study and use body language
- Use humor
- Be kind to yourself
- Take a course to boost your soft and people skills
- Seek advice and ideas from mentors
- Volunteer working with nonprofit organizations as this will give you the opportunity to build both skills.