ABSTRACT
Friday 9 May Rick had been discussing two of his other clients with Jean, his supervisor. He
now turned his attention to Gary. ‘Now, I’ve got another new client at the surgery. Young man, 18, referred by
the doctor, getting into fights linked to his drinking. He hasn ’t said anything about his home life, and really he’s focused mainly on his experiences of drinking and, well, persuading me that he hasn ’t got a problem, tha t he’s “not an alcy” . That seems really im portant for him to keep saying, and I don’t know why, I don’t know if that has any specific meaning for him, or if it is more of a general com m ent.’
