Counselling Education for Liberation from Addiction
Osei Rhodolf Donkor
Abstract
Addiction continues to pose significant challenges to individuals, families, and communities worldwide. Traditional models of addiction treatment often emphasise behaviour modification and symptom control, yet they frequently overlook the deeper psychological, social, and systemic roots of substance dependence. This paper explores a transformative approach to addiction recovery through counselling education for liberation. Drawing on the principles of liberation psychology, transformative learning, and trauma-informed care, this framework positions education as a central tool for empowering individuals to understand and overcome the personal and structural causes of their addiction. The paper examines how critical self-reflection, psychoeducation, and skills-based learning can facilitate lasting recovery and personal agency. By integrating therapeutic counselling with educational empowerment, this approach seeks not only to treat addiction but to liberate individuals from the cycles of oppression, trauma, and disempowerment that often fuel it. Implications for counsellors, educators, and addiction recovery programs are discussed, calling for more holistic, culturally responsive, and justice-oriented practices.
Keywords
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