ABSTRACT

Once the client has agreed to enter therapy, a thorough assessment needs to be undertaken. The central aim of this phase is to evaluate the severity of the drinking problem presented. A client suffering from high levels of alcohol dependence, which interferes with normal functioning, may be unsuitable for CBT and may have to be referred for other therapy (i.e. detoxi®cation). Indeed, researchers have found that errors in estimating alcohol dependence may be a problem in therapy and practitioners ought to be aware of such hazard (Babor, del Boca, & McRee, 1997).