Changing Substance Abuse and Criminal Behavior Through Therapeutic Relationships

This book approaches the treatment process from a new and
yet old perspective. Eleven men who successfully desisted from substance abuse
and offending were interviewed to determine how their significant therapeutic
relationships facilitated this life change. Data is integrated with a new
psychodynamic framework, relational analytic theory, which focuses clinical
attention on the qualities and processes of the therapeutic relationship. A
therapy model is developed which addresses how to attain and maintain
therapeutic engagement, treat client symptoms, and utilize therapeutic conflict
to develop client capacity for internal conflict and personal agency, functions
critical to resolving addictive behavior. Societal and cultural obstacles to
treatment are addressed including group stigmatisation, a lack of funding, and our
current manual and group-based treatment protocols.