Bringing Hope and Healing to Individuals and Families

An Addictions Counseling degree will teach you the biological, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of addiction and recovery. You'll also gain an appreciation for the connection between theory, research, and practice in the fields of substance abuse and other addictive behaviors.

IWU’s Bachelor of Science with a major in Addictions Counseling prepares you to become a knowledgeable, ethical, and competent licensed addiction counselor qualified for counseling practice and/or graduate studies in counseling or psychology. 

Your development will be fostered by means of both theoretical and experiential learning.  You will develop a sense of understanding, respect, and compassion for others as you learn counseling methods, therapeutic techniques and evidence-based practices. You will learn by doing through role plays, 50 hours of experience in our counseling lab, and 350 hours of field placement in addiction treatment facilities.

Students may also choose to participate in research projects with their professors as research assistants.  These opportunities build important skills sought by employers and graduate programs alike. They also provide students the opportunity to present at regional and national conferences.   

Many students decide to double major in Addictions Counseling and Psychology, and some enter the 3 + 2 Pathway.  This academic track may allow students to graduate a semester early.  Students take 12 hours of graduate counseling courses that count towards their undergraduate degree.  Upon graduation, these hours then also count towards a master’s degree in clinical counseling at IWU.  Students can complete their B.S and M.A. Counseling degrees in five years instead of six, saving time and money.

Students may also choose to minor in Addictions Studies (24 hours) to supplement another IWU major.  Some students may not be able to take on the course load of a minor, and instead choose to earn a Certificate in Addictions Counseling (12 hours).  The certificate can fit well with Nursing and Ministry majors.

Our faculty members are licensed and experienced clinical practitioners and researchers committed to providing you with a learning experience that goes beyond basic educational theory.  They will walk beside you as you become professionally prepared to fulfill your calling to help others and positively change our world.

Major Themes of the Addictions Counseling Program

We believe:

• Addiction is best understood as a biopsychosocial-spiritual disorder.
• Our sin nature and God's grace can be seen across the biopsychosocial-spiritual dimensions of both addiction and recovery.
• God is the ultimate source of hope and healing for the problems of humanity. Life transformation can only be achieved by his power and grace. Recovery typically involves many miracles, competent counseling, considerable hard work, and patience.
• The benefits of the "addiction-as-disease" (illness) perspective outweigh the drawbacks.
• Addiction refers to one end of a continuum that includes appropriate use, problematic use, abuse, and dependence (addiction).
• The effective counselor integrates the best available research into practice, considering treatment efficacy and clinical utility.
• The individual counselor has a significant impact on client outcome (APA, 2006), and as such, the effective counselor continuously seeks to attain clinical expertise that improves outcomes.
• The effective counselor is responsive to patient characteristics, culture, and preferences (APA, 2006). He or she considers the family and cultural context of addiction, engaging family members in treatment as indicated.
• The effective counselor creates an atmosphere of "mutual respect, open communication, and collaboration…" (APA, 2006) with the client and stakeholders.
• The effective counselor understands that counseling is ultimately a relationship, with client-counselor alliance and allegiance factors being critical to client outcomes.

Faculty

Addictions Counseling is a program that will help you understand the biological, psychological, social and spiritual aspects of addiction and recovery. Our faculty members are committed to providing you with a learning experience that will take you beyond basic educational theory to innovative evidence-based practices. They are experienced practitioners prepared to unfold the connection between theory, research and practice.

Career Paths

Search more jobs for this degree.

Courses

One of the best ways to discover a degree program is to check out the course listings. Preview the courses for Addictions Counseling at Indiana Wesleyan University using the course catalog.