The treatment of addiction is a very complex, and individualized form of psychotherapy. The reason I am choosing to write my research paper on addiction counseling is because my older brother has suffered from chemical dependency for many years. He has been in and out of several different treatment programs and centers, as well as several post treatment living facilities and still struggles with his addiction to this day. I would like to better understand the history of treatment, and hopefully become a more effective person my brother can rely on when he is in need of emotional support. Because of the experiences I have endured through my brother’s struggles, I have already been exposed to many different forms of literature and have also taken part in many different group therapy sessions in order to help my brother achieve independence. From my simple research over the past week, I have found that there have been many advances in the form of treating chemical dependency. The most commonly well-known form of treatment is the use of the 12-step program, in which people who suffer from dependency issues admit that they do have a problem, renounce that lifestyle, apologize to those they have wronged and accept that there is a higher power. All though this has been a program that has worked for thousands of people, many psychologists now reject this form of treatment, as it is not at all individualized to the patient and involves a forced religious aspect which many patients are not comfortable with. A few articles I have found in the library also indicate that there is a lack of requirements needed for those who hold the responsibility of treating patients with chemical dependency issues. One such author, addresses the complexity of dealing with these patients stating, “The demands placed on the substance abuse counselor today are far more difficult today than they were in the past. Today’s substance abuse counselor must work not