Alan Marlatt on harm reduction for substance abuse

Streaming video - 2014

Addiction treatment can be a very contentious specialty within the psychotherapy and counseling professions, and Alan Marlatt is no stranger to controversy. Owing in part to his Canadian roots, his perspective on alcoholism and drug use in the US is at odds with much of the field. Rather than adopt a moral stance or buy into the medical disease model, Marlatt takes a practical approach that views addiction as a learned habit. In this interview, he explains how this method focuses treatment and public policy on reducing harm to individuals and communities. His compassion is obvious as he explains the concept of harm reduction treatment as meeting the individual where they are rather than taking an all-or-nothing abstinence approach. "Yo...u can motivate the person who's doing whatever it is a lot more by looking at the consequences than whether [they're] a problem drinker or not, or something that might stigmatize the person. So harm reduction, I think, is a much more humanistic, pragmatic way of dealing with people who have alcohol and drug problems that's really making a big difference in their lives." Marlatt describes some of the obstacles he has faced throughout his career, from being discouraged by a professor against studying alcoholism in graduate school to being attacked in the media and academic circles for his work. Taking the controversy philosophically, he depicts the evolution of different belief systems about addiction and treatment through captivating vignettes. In so doing, Marlatt lays out the rationale and therapeutic style of harm reduction in a compelling and thought-provoking way that leaves a lasting impact on the viewer. Keywords: addiction, alcohol, cocaine, drugs, drug use, abuse, addicted, addict, motivational interviewing, MI, methadone, HIV, progressive, Counseling, Counselling, Social Work, Social Worker, Therapy, Psychotherapy, Psychotherapy.net, Therapist.--Supplied by publisher. more