ABSTRACT
There was a time early in my career when I would have largely had only one general response as the clinician in this situation. Having been trained in traditional addictions counseling theories and methods, heavily influenced by the Minnesota model and 12-step recovery (White, 2014), my response would likely have included gently working with Steve to overcome his denial and accept the severity of his alcoholism; encouraging him to engage in support groups wherein he would be exposed to a rigorous, formulaic, yet time-tested philosophy regarding how to stay sober; and helping his wife set clear, consistent boundaries to preserve her own wellbeing, even if Steve chose to remain sick. This time, however, my approach was somewhat different. But we’ll get to that later.
