Addiction Therapists

High School

In high school, take as many psychology (especially those that examine the causes of and treatment for addiction), sociology, and health classes as you can. Therapists need to be strong communicators, so be sure to take English, speech, and foreign language courses. Therapists who plan to go into private practice (i.e., start their own business) should take business management, accounting, mathematics, computer science, and marketing classes.

Postsecondary Education

Educational requirements for addiction therapists vary by specialty. Most require a bachelor’s degree in a counseling or therapeutic specialty and a license to practice.

Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors typically need at least a bachelor’s degree in psychology, counseling (or specialties such as mental health counseling), social services, or social science. Those with bachelor’s degrees typically provide lower-level therapeutic services, although this varies by state and specific specialty. Therapists with master’s degrees often provide more services to their clients, such as private one-on-one counseling sessions.

Marriage and family therapists typically need a master’s degree in psychology, marriage and family therapy, or a related mental health field and a license to practice.

All therapists participate in supervised clinical work, sometimes referred to as an internship or residency, during their training or directly after they earn a degree. Under the supervision of a licensed counselor or therapist, they obtain practical experience in psychotherapy, family therapy, group therapy, and other therapeutic interventions.

The Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs, Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education, and the Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council accredit counseling and therapy programs.

Certification

Colleges and universities, online learning platforms (OLPS), and professional associations offer certificate programs that allow students to explore specialties and therapists to build their knowledge of new treatment approaches and specific addiction topics or become more effective therapists. For example, NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, offers the following certificate programs: Women in Recovery; Advances in Technology in the Addiction Profession; Addiction Treatment in Military and Veteran Culture; Recovery to Practice; Practice Management, Administration, and Operation in the SUD Field; Incorporating the Family into Treatment and Recovery; Assessment, Diagnosis, & Treatment of Co-occurring Disorders & SUD; Adolescent Treatment and Recovery; Wellness and Recovery in the Addiction Profession; Ethics in Practice; Clinical Supervision in the Addiction Profession; and Conflict Resolution for Recovery. To earn the certificates, students must complete a series of courses and take and pass quizzes. Visit https://www.naadac.org/certificate-programs to learn more.

Other Education or Training

Professional organizations, postsecondary institutions, and OLPs such as Coursera, Udemy, and edX provide continuing education classes and webinars. For example, NAADAC, Association for Addiction Professionals offers webinars such as The Role of Emotional Intelligence Skills in Addressing Trauma and Reducing the Risk of Substance Use Disorders; Addressing Racial Bias in AI for Equitable Substance Use Recovery; and Neuroplasticity: The Yin and Yang of Addiction and Recovery. The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy offers more than 85 online courses, as well as in-person classes. Examples include Working with LGBTQ Clients; DSM-5: Diagnosing Substance and Somatic Disorders; Eldercare; and Market Your Practice to Primary Care Physicians.