It is important you understand the best practice techniques for individual counseling sessions.  The type and time duration for individual counseling sessions will depend on the type of substance abuse treatment an individual receives.  For example, in Driving Under the Influence (DUI) programs, individuals attend groups and receive 15-minute individual sessions every other week.  The goal of individual sessions under this model is to ensure compliance with components imposed by the court and DMV. 
In Methadone Maintenance programs individual sessions will be 45 minutes long each week.  State requirements mandate the treatment structure.  Individual counseling aims to help clients comply with program requirements, become stable on medications, and progress with treatment planning goals.
It is important you understand Brief Counseling and Brief Interventions.  The link below will provide information for Brief interventions and brief counseling. 
Brief Therapies for Substance Abuse https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/n/tip34/Links to an external site.