Addiction in the Family: What Every Counselor Needs to Know

This book identifies and addresses potential clinical issues for clients who have family members struggling with addiction, and offers concrete strategies for treatment. Viewing addiction as a family disease, Dr. Kelly explores the complex challenges faced by family members, examines the ways in which substance use disorders affect family dynamics, and discusses behaviors that help sustain recovery and create and maintain healthy relationships.

A brief history of substance abuse is provided, as are the primary models of addiction and family theory. Chapters on codependency and the emotional, relational, and behavioral consequences of living with a family member with a substance use disorder follow. The universality of substance abuse is then examined along with specific ethnic and cultural differences. Family support group treatment options complete the text. Case conceptualization exercises that contain reflections, implications for the counselor, and discussion questions for application of the material are interspersed throughout the book to link theory to practice.