"Everyone -- absolutely everyone -- makes a difference," says Robert Chapman.
"We touch the lives of countless people as we pass through this life. Each
life that we influence in turn influences others. I've come to realize
that we're all on the earth for that one reason: to make a difference
for having been here. And if we're diligent, that difference will be
a positive one."
At LaSalle University in Philadelphia, Chapman affects many lives as a
coordinator of various drug programs, a member of its adjunct faculty and
a drug and alcohol counselor. With more than 20 years of experience, he's
past president of the New York State Council on Alcoholism and has developed
community-based programs in higher education for the Seneca Nation of Indians.
He also writes and lectures extensively on counseling around the world,
including consulting with addictions professionals in Russia and the Ukraine.
"I came to addictions counseling via the back door. It was the pursuit
of advancement, knowing the right people, having some wonderful breaks and
discovering why I was on the face of the earth," he says.
"There's no small gesture of kindness, no act of courage, no effort
exerted when tired or frustrated or busy that doesn't bear fruit," says
Chapman.
"While individuality is important and should be cherished, the pursuit
of that individuality can be like the fence that you put up around your property.
It can keep undesirables away, but it can also, if you are not careful, keep
you penned up inside."
Bonnie Kauder is the director of adolescent outpatient services at a treatment
facility in New York City. She's also a recovering user of alcohol and
drugs.
"This isn't about curing," Kauder explains. "Nobody gets cured the
first time around. As a counselor, I can only plant a seed for recovery and
hope that the person learns something from it down the road.
"This is very frustrating and very difficult. People who abuse drugs or
alcohol do it because they like to get high, and as a counselor, we need to
understand that. We can help people get sober and stay sober. We have to show
them that it can be done."
Kauder hasn't used alcohol or drugs since 1978. She started a career
in counseling seven years later. "This is my calling. It's my way of
giving back. I abused alcohol and drugs as an upper-middle-class teenager.
This is the one thing that I know about. I may not know about architecture.
But I do know about substance abuse. I just feel that this is what I was meant
to do."
Another counselor entered the profession through a different door. "I'd
always been interested in counseling, but a speaker at my college really got
me motivated," says Steven Dashiell. "I'm very happy with my career choice
and enjoy every day. I like to work with people."
Dashiell performs intakes and assessments, and has treatment plans approved
by a supervisor.