04/21/2026
I don't have a lot of free time, but I try to accept at least one or two interviews from future clinicians. The goal is to paint a realistic picture of this industry. I am honored that the Lord allows me to do what I do...
Hi David,
Thank you so very much for taking the time and energy to meet with my student. They gleaned much information from the interview. Your input is very informative. Here is part of what they shared:
After interviewing David Brooks, I now realize how much therapists matter. He gave detailed descriptions of what he has done to help others, and looking back at my own life, I wonder what my walk with addiction would’ve looked like if I had gone to therapy. Going forth, I have a newfound respect and appreciation for this line of work. I am more open to referring people towards addiction counseling and seeking help from a professional. In addition, as I continued to talk with Mr. Brooks, he gave me new insight for my daily interactions; I now know how to make someone work with me even when they’re being prideful in the moment. After interviewing David Brooks and connecting his responses to different models of abnormal behavior, I realized that some of my original assumptions about addiction and abnormality were too narrow. Learning about theories in class is one thing — but hearing how someone applies to them in real life forces you to rethink what you thought you understood. Another belief that shifted for me involves addiction as willpower. Before learning about the biological and cognitive-behavioral models in depth, it was easy to subconsciously believe that people could simply “choose” to stop. David admitted he once thought people could will themselves out of addiction too. But through experience, he saw how trauma, reinforcement, brain changes, and environment all play roles. The biological model explains how dopamine pathways and neural adaptation make stopping incredibly difficult. The behavioral model explains reinforcement patterns. Trauma-informed perspectives explain why substances become coping mechanisms. Addiction isn’t just a bad choice — it’s often a learned survival strategy. That deepened my understanding of how complex substance use disorders really are.
Do something good for yourself today,
Professor, Psychology
Frederick Community College
