Abstract
Within South Africa (SA), where the majority of citizens are unable to access substance use disorder (SUD) care, it is crucial to consider ways to bridge this treatment gap. In the United States (US), the practice of employing recovering persons, often referred to as Wounded Healers (WHs), to provide care to those with SUDs grew to prominence amidst a lack of registered counsellors in the 1940s. Since, the practice of employing recovering counsellors in SUD rehabilitation treatment centers has been the topic of global controversy. This study seeks to gain insight into the lived experiences of recovering counsellors identifying as WHs in SA. Understanding that there is a dearth of SA specific literature relating to the lived experiences of recovering persons, this study aims to provide an in-depth narrative account of how recovering persons may find meaning through becoming a recovering counsellor identifying as a WH. This is done in recognition of global research findings indicating that subjective experiences of identity and meaning may provide valuable insights into structuring support and guidance for recovering counsellors.
Six participants with varying racialized and gender identities were recruited and interviewed online using semi-structured interviews. These participants self-identified as wounded healers working in idiosyncratic contexts as SUD treatment and aftercare service providers and were recruited from across different provinces in SA. Through employing interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) as research method, five key thematic findings were generated following a case-by-case and cross-case interview transcript analysis procedure discussed by Smith et al. (2009).
First, this study found that participants’ subjective experiences of Self and identity changed through a non-linear journey of healing from SUDs, catalysing their decision to become SUD treatment professionals. Secondly, whilst the decision to remain within SUD treatment settings as treatment provider was spurred by a sense of purpose and a desire to
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give back for some participants, this career decision may have been prompted initially by a recognition of limited alternatives and experiences of interpersonal and/or institutional stigma. The third key finding denoted that, through the process of deconstructing and reconstructing their identity experiences in line with the WH narrative, participants were able to find meaning in painful experiences by locating them as having relational functionality. The fourth key thematic finding indicates that the WH archetype, as theorised by analyst Carl Jung (Jung, 1959/2014a), was employed as a narrative ethos, or contextual space. In this regard, participants emphasized how the narrative of the WH created a space where previously denied experiences of Self could be explored from a non-stigmatizing perspective. The final key finding indicated that the WH narrative was perceived to construct unique therapeutic engagements with clients, with participants reporting an enhanced ability to connect authentically with clients sharing similar experiences of hurt.
This study contributes to the growing field of SUD therapy within the South African context. Specifically, it raises important implications for further study related to accessible and practical support for recovering mental healthcare professionals working in the field of SUD treatment and aftercare. These include a recognition of further research to be done on the topics of stigma in SUD recovery and a need for clearer conceptual and definitional frameworks for SUDs and related addictive behaviors. Through providing an in-depth account of the experiences of recovering WHs in SA, under-represented in local literature, this study advances counselling psychology’s commitment to social justice and advocacy.
Keywords: addiction; identity; interpretative phenomenological analysis; IPA; lived experience; stigma; SUD; recovering counsellor; Wounded Healer