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Winter 2008/09 | Vol 12 No 2

Focus

Working while recovering

When the personal becomes professional

By Michael Dean

As an addiction professional, early in my career, i’d regularly meet clients in my office. But the meetings didn’t stop there. I’d also meet those clients at AA. You see, that’s where I went to support my own recovery.

I refer to the pinnacle moment on January 15, 1982, when my recovery from alcoholism began, as having “my faced caressed by the hand of God.” That’s how I described it to my care providers in the withdrawal management facility the morning after it occurred. Nine days later, I told the director of the facility, “I know what I want to do with the rest of my life – I want to do your work.” If I could help
others have an experience similar to mine, all the wreckage of my past would somehow be less awful, less harmful, perhaps even forgiven. My journey to becoming a “professional” in the field of addictions began at that moment.

I had several mentors who were wiser than me in the ways of the world of recovery and professional work. They were unanimous on one point: My reasons for wanting to do the work would need to be more than my personal experience, because my experience would limit what I had to offer. As profound as the experience was, it was only one person’s experience, and the world of recovery is larger than that.
In order to learn I had to separate my personal experience from the actual work. My experience could only be a foundation for the work; it could not be the entire structure. So I expanded my perspective by getting as much information and training as I could. I also listened to those working in the field but not in their own recovery. Their perspectives and the other teachings I was absorbing contributed to what I call my eclectic philosophy of wellness: It doesn’t really matter how someone starts a journey of wellness that may lead to recovery – what is most important is to support them in their efforts.

I have now worked in the substance abuse field for more than 25 years. I believe I have helped many individuals start the first steps in their journey to wellness. I have also been fortunate to mentor other professionals in this work. This role has challenged me to reflect on my own experience and grow from it so I can help others avoid pitfalls. Over the years, I have developed some guiding principles for new professionals – whether in their own recovery or not.

1. If you are engaged in your own recovery process and work with clients who are also in recovery, find a way to practice your recovery outside the workplace. Going to work to apply your own learning about yourself can lead to disaster. Remember, you are learning these insights for your own recovery, not that of others. Your clients will learn their own insights with your guidance, not your experience. Not everyone will have their “face caressed by the hand of God.” Your values are your values; you cannot force your clients to adopt them. You can lead by example and support clients in their decisions. A therapeutic alliance between the care provider and the client is best founded on clinical skills and client motivation, not on personal attributes.

2. If you attend 12-step meetings, find meetings that your early recovery clients do not attend. This can be a challenge, but it is doable. Clients in early recovery have good intentions of respecting anonymity, but it is difficult to practice in all our affairs when new to recovery. Also, freedom of therapeutic expression is limited when the client feels what he or she is saying may not be entirely confidential. In our work, we must adhere to ethical and professional boundaries that foster a healthy opportunity for role modelling, but that prevent the entanglement of personal time and client recovery. Be a support to recovery, not a part of it.

3. If you are neither in recovery yourself, nor trained in substance abuse issues, but work intermittently with clients with such issues, obtain a broad understanding of “where the client is at.” Listening with an empathetic ear can be the catalyst for positive change. Develop this understanding by attending open 12-step meetings, which welcome anyone, or attend Al-Anon, a 12-step program for people living with alcoholics. “Addictions 101” courses can also enhance your knowledge and skills.

4. Everyone who works with substance abuse clients needs clinical supervision. This is crucial to understanding vicarious trauma and counter transference and is an opportunity to learn about your own process and gain new skills. An effective clinical supervisor is not a “12-step sponsor”; it is someone who knows your work and the accountability framework within which you work, and who has the skills to listen, reflect and direct you to new ways of thinking and working.

5. Be careful about disclosing your own recovery. Many new addiction professionals ask: “What do I say if a client asks whether I’m in recovery?” I learned early on that disclosing your own recovery is rarely helpful. It can be divisive and can limit the support clients get. As a result of my disclosure, some clients wanted to work only with me, not other team members, because I understood “where they were coming from.” My answer now is: “Whether or not I’m in recovery won’t affect the quality of care you receive, but it could affect our working alliance, so let’s just assume I know what I need to know to help you and let’s start to work.”

Michael Dean is manager of Addiction Services at St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto.