Critical Thinking for Addiction Professionals

"Dr. Taleff has provided an insightful analysis of the kinds of thinking errors often made by counselors. The text should be required reading in all areas of health and human services. The concepts and discussion are as valuable to experienced helpers as they are to novices."

-Gregory Blevins, Ph.D., Professor, Governors State University

Readers learn:
" To evaluate their critical thinking abilities
" The characteristics of a critical thinking professional
" What drives bad thinking in addiction work
" How to recognize and avoid thinking fallacies
" The ethics and consequences of using critical thinking

Thinking flaws, which often result from myths and generalizations in the field of therapy, are common not just in counselors, but in supervisors and administrators. This user-friendly guide, presented by critical thinking expert and addiction professional Dr. Michael J. Taleff, is the first to bring together critical thinking and addiction work. Taleff offers readers the tools they need to think critically and make better decisions.

;Learn to Think Critically and Make Better Decisions

Addiction professionals make decisions everyday that impact peoples lives. Sometimes these decisions are solid, and sometimes they are the result of flawed thinking, which often results from myths and generalizations that are perpetuated in the field. Thinking flaws are common not just in counselors, but in supervisors, administrators, and presenters, and can lead to potentially negative outcomes both for clients and for programs.

In this easy-to-read guide--the first to bring together critical thinking and addiction work--critical thinking expert and addiction professional Dr. Michael J. Taleff offers readers the tools they need to think critically and make better decisions.

• Readers learn:
  
  
• To evaluate their critical thinking abilities
• The characteristics of a critical thinking professional
• What drives bad thinking in addiction work
• How to recognize and avoid thinking fallacies
• The ethics and consequences of using critical thinking

"Dr. Taleff has provided an insightful analysis of the kinds of thinking errors often made by counselors. The text should be required reading in all areas of health and human services. The concepts and discussion are as valuable to experienced helpers as they are to novices."
-Gregory Blevins, Ph.D., Professor, Governors State University

;

1. Preface
   
   Acknowledgments
   
   PART I: Introduction and Basics
   
2. Introducing Critical Thinking into Addiction Work
3. 
   
4. Characteristics of the Critical Thinking Professional
5. 
   
6. Poor Thinking in Addiction Work: From the Individual to the Field
7. 
   
8. Evaluating Your Critical Thinking Abilities
9. 
   
10. Learning the Basics of Critical Thinking
11. 
    
12. What Drives Bad Thinking?
13. 
    
    PART II: Fallacies and Final Thoughts
    
14. A Crash Course in Fallacies
15. 
    
16. Fallacies That Appeal to Authority and Irrelevant Fallacies
17. 
    
18. Causal Fallacies and Weak Inductions
19. 
    
20. Fallacies That Presume a Conclusion Before It Is Proven and Classification Fallacies
21. 
    
22. Fallacies Caused by Perception Problems and Fallacies of Manner and Style
23. 
    
24. The Ethics and Professional Consequences of Using Critical Thinking
25. 
    
    Glossary
    
    References
    
    Index