According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 22.7 million Americans needed treatment for problems related to drug or alcohol abuse in 2013. Suzanne Bartholomew (MSSW ’11) is the manager for women’s program at The Arbor Treatment Center in Austin, TX. We talked with her about her approach to promoting wellness and recovery among people affected by drug and alcohol abuse.
How did you become interested in recovery work?
As a recent graduate, I did not have a particular field that I was determined to go into. I remember, rather, the simple desire of wanting to help people suffering from emotional pain. My first job opportunity was working in an adolescent rehab center as a counselor. I loved working with teenagers and I considered myself lucky to have a clinical role, but had no idea that substance abuse would become a specialty of mine. What quickly occurred to me, however, was that working in recovery was a gateway for working with depression, anxiety, grief, loss, trauma, mood disorders, family issues etc. Now, as the program manager of an adult residential program, I am able to see how the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous worked in my life. By continuing to follow up on opportunities as they presented themselves, I found myself exactly where I am supposed to be.
How would you describe your approach to recovery?
I begin with unconditional positive regard. So many of my clients enter rehab crippled by guilt and shame. One of the most powerful things I have found that I can do is listen to their story and provide an experience of compassion and empathy. My approach also focuses on trauma and the use of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy, or EMDR. I have found that facilitating a healing experience from trauma can be one of the most profound ways in which I can help an individual in their recovery.
How has your training in social work prepared you for what you do at The Arbor?
Social work directs me to look at a client’s strengths when they are coming from a place of having lost everything to their addiction. This is a natural fit with The Arbor’s philosophy of approaching clients from a place of love and not fear. The Arbor also takes a systems perspective, which aligns with my foundation in social work. My social work training has prepared me to participate in The Arbor’s mission to help the individual and the family in recovery, as I understand that addiction is not an individual issue and the family must be directly involved in solving the problem.
How has your training in social work prepared you for what you do at The Arbor?
Social work directs me to look at a client’s strengths when they are coming from a place of having lost everything to their addiction. This is a natural fit with The Arbor’s philosophy of approaching clients from a place of love and not fear. The Arbor also takes a systems perspective, which aligns with my foundation in social work. My social work training has prepared me to participate in The Arbor’s mission to help the individual and the family in recovery, as I understand that addiction is not an individual issue and the family must be directly involved in solving the problem.