2014: An Exciting New Year!

Happy belated New Year! 

As we move into the New Year there are many exciting events planned for Counselor magazine. First, however, I would like to thank the many contributors for their articles—especially our regular contributors over the past year. Their articles continue to bring solid information, cutting-edge ideas, and current trends in the addiction field to the magazine. In their own way, each of them has contributed to the depth of Counselor magazine. We thank them for their work.

Additionally, we would like to thank a major contributor to Counselor, the many authors from the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment (JSAT). Over the past years they have contributed many feature articles based on research, theoretical discussions, treatment innovations, and ongoing studies in the field of addiction science. Counselor magazine is very pleased to announce that a new memorandum of agreement has been reached with JSAT to continue our mutually beneficial relationship. We look forward to their future articles and contributions. 

One of the new features for 2014 includes a “Substance Abuse in Teens” column by Fred Dyer, PhD. Dr. Dyer is well known for his excellent seminars on the topic of adolescents, as well as his publications. We look forward to working with him. Additionally, a Special Issue on Adolescents and Young Adults will be published this year in April.

We are also beginning a new series of articles on process addictions such as gambling, sex addiction, hoarding, bullying, compulsive spending, and relationship sabotage. Look for these articles in every issue for 2014. 

Another feature will be interviews with authors of new books for 2014. For example we look forward to talking with Reid Wilson and Lynn Lyons on their new book, Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents. 

We are looking forward to featuring Counselor magazine at all of the U.S. Journal Training conferences for 2014. Their conference schedule is very ambitious for the New Year with nine national conferences on their agenda. Many of the conference themes correlate well with upcoming editions of Counselor. This will be a great opportunity to meet thousands of addiction professionals as well as introduce them to the magazine.

For myself, I look forward to recruiting and working with many new authors, continuing to build relationships with our regular authors, working with the U.S. Journal Training, and keeping you informed about cutting edge advances in clinical and research findings in addiction treatment and recovery.

Finally, although editor for only half of 2013 I want to thank many of you for your letters to the editor. I appreciate hearing from you and I look forward to your comments, ideas and contributions for 2014. 

Despite all the good news I have about Counselor in 2014, I would like to take a moment to address a most unfortunate occurrence in 2013. Since 2005, David J. Powell, PhD, has been a regular contributor to Counselor and a vital member of our advisory board. It is with deepest regret that I inform our readership of David’s fatal fall while working at his home on November 1, 2013. Dr. Powell’s work was worldwide; he in trained in eighty-seven countries and authored ten books. Perhaps his most important accomplishment involved teaching clinical supervision to counselors who worked in the alcohol and drug abuse field. With the permission of his wife, Barbara, David’s last two “Clinical Supervision” columns will be featured in this issue and the April issue, respectively. We were privileged to have Dr. Powell’s work featured in Counselor for the past eight years. We, along with thousands of others, will miss him.