Colleen Montague obtained her undergraduate degree in Social Work at Youngstown State University and her graduate degree in Social Work, in the advanced standing program, at Cleveland State University.
Colleen has experience working with adults and juveniles utilizing cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing to treat co-occurring disorders. She has five years of experience working in the chemical dependency field and is a Licensed Independent Chemical Dependency Counselor.
We asked Colleen to share some insight into what brought her into this field and what she feels she offers our patients at the Center for Effective Living. Here’s what she had to say:
What motivated you to go into Social Work? I decided to pursue a career in social work because I have always known that I am a “helping person.” Empathy is a personality trait that I naturally possessed. I just did not realize it was empathy until I began my educational process in the social work field. I wanted to be able to make a difference in the lives of others even if it meant helping one person at a time.
What separates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy from other treatment options, in your opinion? It is short-term and focused on dealing with a very specific problem. Clients focus on thoughts, feelings, and actions. By identifying high risk thoughts, feelings, and actions, clients learn to restructure their thoughts to obtain new low-risk behaviors. CBT teaches clients to cope with issues in their environment and not eliminate them. Also, with CBT being short-term, it is more affordable.
Is there anyone you think might especially benefit from CBT? Clients diagnosed with AOD, depression, and anxiety would benefit from CBT. CBT is a gradual process and a client must be ready to deal with and analyze their thoughts; however, the goals of CBT are easily measured. Clients are taught coping skills that can be utilized now and in the future.
Can you explain what “motivational interviewing” and “co-occurring disorders” are? Greg Emanuelson, PhD, LPCC-S, defines Motivational Interviewing as “a collaborative, goal-oriented style of communication with particular attention to the language of change. It is designed to strengthen personal motivation for and commitment to a specific goal by eliciting and exploring the person’s own reasons for change within an atmosphere of acceptance and compassion.”
MI is any easy concept to grasp, but is difficult to implement. Understanding the stages of change are imperative. “Meeting the client” where they are at and resisting the desire to “fix” the problem is important. The idea is to empower/motivate the client to initiate change.
Co-occurring disorder is the term used for a client diagnosed with a mental health disorder and a drug or alcohol disorder. When developing an individualized treatment plan, goals, objectives, and interventions are designed to address both disorders. Therapies are chosen that can address both disorders, using an integrated approach and preferably by the same provider.
What drew you into treating chemical dependency? The chemical dependency field happened to be the first position after college. I happened to land in the field. But the more I learned and experienced the treatment of chemical dependency, the more I enjoyed it. Many of the theories and treatment models are as effective with AOD and with mental health.