I''m sure you are very good at what you do in, I assume, the USofA but Portugal is not the USofA so the attitudes official to "drugs" here is not that of those in the USofA. Such stuff as Quote "Portugal, in effect, set out to alter the environment around drug addicts in order to alter their behavior and, thereby, to reduce addiction and its toll on individuals and on society overall." , If you were to explore the subject further you may find if your experience has any relevance or not to the situation here.

 

There are addiction rehabs and AA meetings all over Portugal.

 

In your other post you say you have a job opportunity in Sintra - is this for Drug and Alcohol counselor?

Do you speak Portuguese or just looking for english speaking patients?

What are your current education qualifications? Are you licensed?

 

Google search using "drug counselor Portugal requirements" seems to work.

 

To work in Portugal in any area related to health, including mental health & counselling, you'll need to have recognized qualifications in that speciality.
You'll have to submit your current qualifications to the portuguese official body* that regulates your field of expertise, and ask for equivalence with portuguese qualifications. This can take more than 1 year, is expensive, and at the end you'll have to a university exam in portuguese, very similar to the exams your fellow portuguese specialists have taken.
I you the exam, and if you can speak portuguese fluently, and if your qualifications are judged to be equivalent, then you'll be given a license to practise in Portugal in either the private sector or public sector, or work as self-employed.
If you got your current qualifications in a EU country, the equivalence process may be easier and quicker as standards of practice are similar.

You cannot work in Portugal at all without a license.
* Get more info from Ordem dos Psicologos Portugal Ordem dos Psicólogos