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Abstract

Substance abuse presents unique and complex challenges to the process of psychotherapy and inpatient medical treatment. Clients often present with chief complaints that are often exacerbated, if not partially caused, by substance abuse, which is frequently minimized, denied, and rationalized. The aforementioned defensive processes� can interfere with empathic connection if confronted in therapy and can also maintain client suffering if not addressed and worked through. In such instances when substance abuse clients present for psychotherapy or in inpatient settings, they are often reluctant to seek substance abuse treatment services, which places psychotherapists and primary care providers in the difficult position of needing to somehow integrate treatment into the therapeutic process. Specific treatment philosophies, interventions, and methods of intervention evaluation in psychotherapeutic and inpatient hospital settings will be introduced and discussed, as well as implications for future research and practice on the subject matter.

Biography

Graham Danzer is a clinician trained in multiple therapeutic disciplines with 12 years of experience and expertise in substance abuse, adolescents, family therapy, treating sexual disorders, and clinical research. He also published clinical texts and research papers in numerous peer reviewed, academic journals, including The Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment, and Trauma, The Journal of Theory Construction, The Contemporary Family Therapy Journal, and The Harvard Review of Psychiatry.