We work with the drug user in a therapy setting. His or her purpose is to find the root of the addiction and help patients progress into sobriety. Depending on the underlying cause of the addiction discovered, the counselor develops an individual treatment plan for each patient. To help their patients work past the addiction, counselors educate them about addiction and teach them how to move on through life without substance abuse. The main goal of a drug abuse counselor is to guide the drug abuser into sobriety through counseling. Popular Therapy Types Motivational interviewing. Contingency management. Family therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy. Drug Abuse Counseling Careers Drug abuse treatment can be provided by a number of practitioner types. Each of these addiction treatment roles naturally require varying levels of education and training, and can range from the non-credentialed counselor to social workers and clinical psychologists. Common to all of these is the fact that each requires some degree of specialized knowledge and fieldwork / drug abuse counseling expertise.