ABSTRACT

Paula was a thirty-eight-year-old executive who had been married for two years to Bruce, a fifty-three-year-old independent construction contractor. Paula sought treatment for her drinking, which had become increasingly problematic over the past eight years. Paula and Bruce drank together every day, typically splitting three or four bottles of wine each evening. They had a number of friends, with whom they socialized and travelled, who were all equally heavy drinkers. Recently, Paula became a born-again Christian and experienced a deep sense of conflict between her religious practices and her heavy drinking. This sense of conflict was her primary motivation for seeking help. Bruce wanted to be involved with treatment as well, saying that he would do whatever was necessary to help her.