Ep68 Addiction Treatment Specialized Addiction Counseling for Professionals

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[00:00:02] Chris Langley: Hi, welcome to Addiction Recovery Place Podcast the podcast championing addiction treatment professionals around the world. I'm your host Chris Langley, and I'm very pleased to introduce today's guest, Sabrina Vonderhaar.

Sabrina is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Addiction Specialist located here in Iowa. Welcome to Addiction Recovery Place Podcast. Sabrina, it's great to have you join us today.

[00:00:23] Sabrina Vonderhaar: Thank you so much Chris. I am actually really happy to be here and thank you for having me.

[00:00:28] Chris Langley: Oh, it's my pleasure. Really excited to speak to you today and to find out about your work and your career. So we're just gonna kick things off first. So can you tell us about yourself and your journey and how you started your own practice?

[00:00:39] Sabrina Vonderhaar: Sure. so though I was born and raised in Iowa, my journey actually. Started in New York City. I went to John Jay College and I got my Bachelor's in Forensic Psychology. Then I went on to get my Master's in Forensic Mental Health counseling and that kind of gave me the really deep background that I use now in the criminal justice system and the legal issues with mental health.

As soon as I graduated, I came back to Iowa, and then I started working as a family support specialist with DHS and that really opened up my eyes to the drug use and addiction in Iowa specifically. So as soon as I could, I transitioned into a counselor position in an outpatient center in Dubuque, Iowa, and thus began my career of actual addiction counseling.

[00:01:24] Chris Langley: So how did you start your career? When did you start your, your qualifications?

[00:01:30] Sabrina Vonderhaar: About five years ago.

[00:01:31] Chris Langley: Five years. Wow. Excellent. What was it about Iowa that made you want to help people with addictions? What was it about that was going on in the, in your home state?

[00:01:42] Sabrina Vonderhaar: I don't know if it was, 'cause I'm from here and I just am so close with everybody, and I felt like this is my home. I should be giving back to my home because I definitely didn't feel it when I was in New York. I didn't feel like that sense of belonging there like I do here. So I think it was just because it's where I'm from.

[00:02:00] Chris Langley: Yep. I love that. I love that. You specialize in helping people, but can you tell us about what your specialized approach is when you're working with professionals? Because that could be quite a different, client group to work with. So can you tell us about why you started working with the professionals and what you do?

[00:02:20] Sabrina Vonderhaar: It sure is a fun group to work with. So within the professionals, I work with addiction and anger management specifically, and I chose professionals because they're put aside. A lot of people forget about them. It's not something that people really realize that professionals are going through.

People think addiction is very messy, so they think of people who are in the criminal justice system, like already in jail coming out of it, that sort of thing. But professionals struggle just as much as anyone else. So I think that's where I went into wanting to work with professionals is because when I was in the outpatient center, I saw a lot of professionals who were so scared of what's gonna happen to their life.

And they think not only are they gonna lose their job. They're gonna lose their license. They're gonna lose their kids, and so I wanted to be that person to help them.

[00:03:15] Chris Langley: That's incredible. That's really good that you found a client group that you can really relate to and who need the help that you are able to give. So, what was it that made you want to specialize in helping professionals? I understand you just explained that, but what, are some of the challenges that could be faced when working with this client group?

[00:03:35] Sabrina Vonderhaar: So I would say the biggest challenge working with professionals is that they're so smart, so they are so good at intellectualizing their feelings and rationalizing it all. They treat their mental health like a problem that needs to be fixed. They're looking for a quick fix. They're looking for something to be solved instantaneously.

And as we know, that's not something that's possible. I think that would be the biggest hurdle working with professionals, and then the other one is the fear of losing things like their license, their kids, that sort of stuff. So they're scared of asking for help. So a lot of them stay closed off and really don't try and open up.

[00:04:19] Chris Langley: So, when you're working with a professional, I guess it takes a long time to build trust. I think is a big one. As you just mentioned, when you're working with professionals such possibly even law enforcement officers as well, that's, quite common.

I've worked with some clients in England who were in the criminal justice field as well. So I'm going to mention stigma now. I was going to ask you about this later, but do you think the stigma of addiction can stop someone entering a service?

[00:04:49] Sabrina Vonderhaar: Of course. I think that is probably the biggest barrier of everything.

People are so worried about their view of what other people view them, and not only that, but their view of addiction, and then they assume other people see it that way too. So the shame of it all.

[00:05:04] Chris Langley: so why, do you think it is stigma has such a barrier to someone to enter treatment? I'm this is a question I ask all of my guests, and it's such a problem in today's society with entering treatment as to, and I think stigma is one of the biggest barriers of all.

So, can you go into a little bit more detail as to why do you think that is?

[00:05:25] Sabrina Vonderhaar: I think stigma, though, we are really trying to get away from it, there are so many nonprofits and people out there trying to help end that stigma. It's just something that is innate in our society. It's something that's still talked about. TV shows all the time where it's just ragged on all the time, and it's just something that people see. Then they think that's the normal, and they think that's how they need to be. Then that goes down to the family tree of they teach their kids that, then they teach their grandchildren that. Not only is it like something the families teach each other, friends do it as well.

I can remember being in a high school student and people were messing with and bullying those who smoked weed or stuff like that. Like it's just something that happens even when we were kids, and it's not something that seems to be going away anytime soon either.

[00:06:23] Chris Langley: Yeah. Do you think it's improving at all with the stigma? Because we're able to have these conversations a little bit more maybe with what's happening on online. Do you think that could possibly help?

[00:06:33] Sabrina Vonderhaar: It's definitely talked about more, but I don't know if that's because of my profession and what I do versus the common person. I do think that there's a lot more events, specifically where I live. We try and put on so many more events, not only for mental health but for addiction as well.

I know that's something that, statewide we've been working on as well. So I think it is, talked about more, but I don't know if it's getting the wide variety of people that we would like.

[00:07:04] Chris Langley: Sure. Sure. Something I would like to mention, Sabrina, you, recently wrote an article for on QueerPsych about queer people in recovery. Can you tell us about this and about your work at the LGBTQ+ committee at NAADAC?

[00:07:20] Sabrina Vonderhaar: Yeah, for sure. So I wrote the article for QueerPsych that highlighted the unique intersection of recovery and the queer identity. So we know that those in the LGBTQIA2s+ community face higher rates of substance use, often they use it as a coping skill for minority stress, discrimination, family rejection.

There's just a wide variety of issues that they face that those who are not within the queer community don't face. I wrote that, and I am actually currently writing my second one for that. That will be probably next year in January. They'll upload that on there.

My work with the NAADAC Committee is about advocacy on the national level. We want to ensure that recovery spaces are safe and inclusive, which is a big issue. A lot of people though, they say they're an ally, don't really understand what that means or how to treat somebody within the community. They just think you say and do everything like you do with everybody else, and that's not how you go about it.

Too often queer people enter treatment and hide parts of themselves, not only because they're worried what the therapist might think, but they're worried that the therapist will tell other people or show it in the world somehow. So my work ensures that we are treating addiction while celebrating the identity, not just treating the identity as a part of the problem.

[00:08:53] Chris Langley: Yeah. Was your, was your article well received?

[00:08:58] Sabrina Vonderhaar: Yes, they loved it, and it's close to my heart. Some of my family members are in the community, and they messaged me and they really enjoyed it. They told me they felt seen and heard, and that was probably the biggest applause I could have ever gotten, and it felt so good to hear.

[00:09:16] Chris Langley: That's lovely feedback. That really is. Congratulations on writing that article. That's absolutely amazing. We'll be putting a link into the show notes here. So if anyone would like to read this work, please go ahead and click the link below. Another thing I'd like to mention, Sabrina, you also sit on the board of the Iowa Assocation for Addiction Professionals, which is the state's affiliate of NAADAC.Can you tell us about why you're a member of NAADAC, and why someone who is working in the recovery field should consider becoming a member?

[00:09:46] Sabrina Vonderhaar: Yeah, so I am a member of NAADAC, and I'm currently the President Elect for IAAP, and I think that's vital because I believe we keep raising the bar for our profession. We need to keep raising that bar. Addiction treatment is evolving fast. People are being involved, us being involved ensures that we are bringing the best advocacy and evidence-based treatment back to our clients.

And I think that's what we're doing within NAADAC and also IAAP, once we get the ball, a little more rolling in there. would say beyond that, not only with NAADAC but other boards I'm a part of Mental Health America, and I'm also a volunteer with NAMI and some local coalitions, but I use all of the information from all of the other different.

Committees and coalitions to try and get everything on the same page because I think so much, we are so separate because we talk all the time. We're in separate pillars. Everybody's out for their own, and I really want to help reduce that and bring everybody together.

[00:10:51] Chris Langley: Amazing. hat are the benefits of becoming a member of NAADAC would you say, if someone's just starting out in their career as maybe a peer-to-peer recovery support worker? What benefits can someone gain from just becoming a member?

[00:11:05] Sabrina Vonderhaar: The biggest benefit is probably the community that you have. When you're a member, there's some like talking boards that you can be a part of and you can ask questions and you don't have to worry about people coming at you. Facebook has a lot of groups with therapists, and then you ask a question and people just become rude and come at you because you don't know every answer that there is.

I don't think I've ever heard anything like that with NAADAC, and I think that was probably the biggest thing that NAADAC has to offer as a member. They have so many awesome ones. A well as well. They, I get my liability insurance through that because they have a discount with APA. There are free trainings, the CEs , which are a godsend.

I love doing those all the time. Let's see, what else? There's just so much community there. I'm going to reiterate that. That's just the biggest one for me is the people I met and all of the people I can count on and rely on.

[00:12:03] Chris Langley: Yep. And we've also got the NAADAC Conference next year as well, haven't we? In August 2026 down in local to us down in Kansas. Hopefully we'll all be there for that one. One of the last questions I ask all of my guests this, because I get some interest in very varied answers, Sabrina, but can you tell us what your opinion of harm reduction and how it can play such a role in recovery?

[00:12:25] Sabrina Vonderhaar: I'm an advocate for harm reduction. I know a lot of people aren't, but I think you have to start off small. Start off anywhere. Baby steps count. And my philosophy is pretty simple. You can't recover if you aren't alive. And harm reduction helps that it's about safety and meeting the client exactly where they are.

So I am a huge advocate with harm reduction and use it in my practice.

Aside from just, being alive, the whole idea of people think. All or nothing is scary. So instead of going from, drinking daily to stopping cold turkey, try and reduce that. And obviously that's what harm reduction is. You're reducing how much they use just to keep them going.

And then as soon as they meet that requirement or whatever change that you're making, do a little more change. And then, instead of saying, "okay, we're gonna go to zero, we're gonna go down to 50 and then 25, and then you'll go down to zero." And that's not scary at all, as scary.

[00:13:26] Chris Langley: Yes. Most

definitely. Thank you for that. Last couple of questions. Do you have a message for anyone who's listening to this podcast who's going for an addiction? Sabrina, what would you say to them?

[00:14:11] Sabrina Vonderhaar: I think my biggest message is. Recognize that you're not broken. You're not alone. You are struggling. Don't erase your successes or your value as a person. It takes so much courage to face these things. You don't have to white knuckle it, or do it on your own.

There's a way to find peace and regain regaining control again, and you don't have to lose yourself in the process. So reach out not only to people in your community, but also any friend or family member.

[00:14:43] Chris Langley: Yep. I love that. Thank you so much. So last question. Can you tell our listeners how to best to contact you and to find your services online?

[00:14:51] Sabrina Vonderhaar: Sure so the best way is probably my website. It's sabrinacounseling.com I provide online therapy for anyone physically located in Iowa. So you need to be in the state. Otherwise, I cannot. though I do have resources and national resources on my website too. if you ever need mental health resources, that's an option.

if you want to learn more about my. Specialties, or book a session, then sabrina counseling.com is where you'll see it.

[00:15:22] Chris Langley: Excellent. We'll make sure we have a link in the notes as well, below this video. Sabrina, thank you so much for being a guest today. I really appreciated your time, and , wish you all the very best for your career. Thank you so much.

[00:15:35] Sabrina Vonderhaar: Thank you. I am proud to be here and happy to be here. Thanks, Chris.

[00:15:39] Chris Langley: I appreciate it. Thank you, Sabrina.