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NewSocialWorker
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March 27, 2005
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Reviewer's Comments:
Summary:
a commendable text
Addiction Treatment: A Strengths Perspective, by Katherine Van Wormer and Diane Rae Davis, 2003. Pacific Grove, CA: Thompson–Brooks/Cole. 436 pp, $51.95.
Reviewed for THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER by Rebecca Sager Ashery, DSW, LCSW.
The authors state that this book is intended for use as a primary text in courses related to substance abuse or as a secondary text in graduate and undergraduate courses related to health, mental health, social work, offender rehabilitation, and family counseling. They cite professional literature and present detailed discussion of addictions from the bio-psychosocial perspectives. This bio-psychosocial presentation is inclusive of almost every aspect of substance abuse, including physiological and pharmaceutical aspects of drug abuse; co-occurring disorders; behavioral addictions such as eating disorders and gambling; family risks and resiliencies; racial, ethnic, cultural and gender issues; and public policy.
The authors overlay a strengths perspective to the bio-psychosocial presentations. The strengths perspective builds on the client’s strengths, resources, readiness for change, and self-determination. It is an approach rather than an integrated therapy. The authors present an in-depth discussion of four of these approaches: the practices of harm reduction, motivational interviewing, solution-focused interventions, and narrative therapy. As an example, the strengths perspective regards relapse as part of a change process, not a failure. Total abstinence from alcohol may not be a viable goal; however, a decrease in the amount and frequency of consumption is viable from a strengths perspective. The authors state that there is no “one-size fits all” in treatment and it is important to find what works in the diverse treatment designs.
Readers may not agree with some of the authors’ underlying assumptions, such as having adolescents learn moderate drinking from parents rather than forbid drinking altogether, and calling the war on drugs politically and ethically misguided. However, the book stands as a commendable text of factual bio-psychosocial information on addictions.
Several topics that were not covered in this book include drugs in the workplace setting and drug testing, the prevention and treatment of substance abuse for those suffering from trauma and PTSD, and a more thorough discussion of insurance parity for addictive diseases with other medical illnesses. Although the authors list a number of references in their chapter on “Family Risks and Resiliencies,” many are in alcohol or family therapy in general. They do not reference some of the pioneers in the family therapy and substance abuse field, such as Stanton, Little, Szapocznik, and Kumpfer.
The authors state that the uniqueness of their book is the application of the principles of the strengths perspective to addiction treatment modalities. However, many principles of this perspective have already been utilized in addiction treatment. The authors have been successful in further elucidating on the expansion of this utilization. Although the principles of the strengths perspective are sound for many counseling situations, there needs to be more scientific testing in the field of addictions. Through this book, the authors have succeeded in their endeavor to draw the attention of the addictions field to the strengths perspective.
Reviewed by Rebecca Sager Ashery, DSW, LCSW.
This review appeared in the Spring 2003 issue of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine.
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