When you think about someone in treatment for chemical dependency and their willingness to change, no one really wants to be told what to do. The more a person is told what they should do, the more they will resist any change. The more a counselor confronts a chemical-addicted client, the less likely he or she will be to change. The client may even be pushed in the opposite direction, such that they will resist change and/or change much less quickly if they had not been confronted with it. Counselors play an important role in the treatment of chemically dependent clients. The tone they use, the words they choose, and the style in which they speak to their client can be emotional tools to help the client resolve their own ambivalence and actually decide what to do. they want to do to make a change in their life. Addictive behavior can be changed, but it's not as simple as brushing your teeth, change happens in stages. As a counselor, it is important to recognize these stages of change in order to help clients recognize and accept their chemical dependency as well as help them make the changes necessary for recovery. “Just as there is no such thing as an “alcoholic” or “addict,” there is no single “proven” treatment approach for all clients” (Capuzzi & Stauffer, 2008, p. 149). This article will focus on motivational interviewing, solution-focused counseling, and psychotherapeutic harm reduction approaches. “A counselor must truly understand both the underlying principles and techniques of change for motivational interviewing to be truly effective” (Capuzzi & Stauffer, 2008, p. 132). Change is not something that just happens. Change is a more detailed process. The Stages of Change model was developed by James......middle of the article......with three goals: staying alive, maintaining health, and/or getting better" (Capuzzi and Stauffer, 2008, p. ).In my opinion, all of these approaches are relative to each other and can play hand in hand with each other when treating a chemically dependent client. However, I think if I had to choose one, the most effective approach to treating chemical dependency would be the motivational interview approach. An approach in which a counselor can help a client to be able to explore and resolve their own ambivalence and help them move toward behavioral change seems to be the most affective approach. I like this approach because it is client-centered but also somewhat directive. Motivational interviewing also fits more into a guiding philosophy and moves away from the typical healthcare provider approach of being directive or authoritarian..