When the authors began writing this textbook, the United States was in the grips of an opioid epidemic in which overdose deaths have been ever-increasing, and perhaps amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the opioid epidemic took center stage in the media, there were also surges in cocaine and methamphetamine use and related deaths, as well as increases in cannabis vaping especially among adolescents and young adults. Additionally, behavioural addictions such as sex and pornography addiction, internet gaming addiction, and gambling continued to impact individuals and communities across the globe. History provides us with several lessons, one of those lessons is that substance use trends wax and wane over decades. Cocaine epidemics existed in the 1920’s, coinciding with alcohol prohibition, only to resurface again in the 1980’s. Morphine addiction was prevalent following the Civil War, especially among wounded soldiers and opioid addiction again surged in the past five years. Therefore, it is imperative that each new generation of mental health professionals are equipped to recognize and respond to addiction. Co-authors and the author all share the conviction that whatever area of counseling we decide to specialize in, or whatever counseling program we work in; we will be treating individuals who are either directly or indirectly impacted by substance use disorders (SUDs) and behavioral addictions. Therefore, they wrote this textbook with this mind. The book opens by providing students with an overview of the current state of the addiction counseling profession and the ever-increasing need for addiction counselors and mental health counselors who possess specific knowledge and skills pertaining to treating SUDs, as well as information on counsellor credentialing and ethical concerns specific to addiction counseling.