My experience in working with clients who are marijuana users is that it is very difficult for them to process experiences in their lives to bring about change. Most clients are typically successful in attaining some of their goals in counseling. I am less successful in working with clients who are marijuana users than any other group of individuals. For those who use marijuana regularly and continue its use, making progress in the therapeutic setting has been minimal. I can not say definitively that it is true for all clients, because there may be some that use it regularly without my knowledge. However, for those who have reported abstaining from it use there has always been a noticeable improvement in their ability to process information, bring about awareness of self, and facilitate movement forward in the therapeutic process.
Find you voice
It is not usually one of the identified goals of therapy, however I find that one of the outcomes of therapy is when a client begins to find their voice. When we are comfortable in our environment and with those we interact we are less concerned about how we are viewed and find empowerment in our ability to express ourselves. We repress less of who we are and provide worth to those with whom we interact by providing insight and relationship with the world around us. Finding your voice provides an outlet for our emotions, ideas, values, and beliefs. It allows others to get to know us and be comfortable in our home, work place and community. I particularly enjoy seeing women empowered and more engaged with families and in the work place. This seems to be an outcome in working with women more than men, perhaps because of social and family expectations for sons and daughters. Spouses and family members may find the change that occurs when a client finds their voice to be uncomfortable and distress because of the changing family dynamic. I find clients who have made significant progress much more likely to disagree with me in the therapeutic setting as they find their voice.