Many 'early stage' alcoholics are not ready to stop drinking, but believe they can reduce it and may seek the counsellor's help to achieve a modified drinking pattern. If assisting on total abstinence with such a client, there is a good chance they will quit therapy and their drinking will continue in isolation. A helpful way of dealing with such a client's resistance is to place them in a process that provides self-education about the nature and extent of their own drinking.
Charting is a paradoxical technique that appears to be aimed at helping the client achieve their stated goal, modified drinking, whilst actually seeking another, abstinence. The charting process puts the client in a situation where it is not the counsellor or therapist who confronts
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There should be a discussion of that drinking situation; what triggered the need to drink - that is, why did the client choose to drink? There should also be a quiet reiteration of the contract.
Ultimately, the goal for the client should be one or two single drinks no more than twice a week, with several days between drinking days.
Charting has several possible outcomes.
1. The client succeeds in modifying their drinking. A goal of one or two single drinks twice a week is achieved for several months and alcohol abuse is no longer an issue in the person's life.
2. The client decides that charting and the careful attention it requires is too much trouble and so decides to stop drinking entirely. This outcome too is a success.
3. The client fails to maintain the contract and over-drinks on a continuing basis. There may be several reasons, one being the client may be more tolerant and addicted to alcohol than was at first realised. If that is so, then it is time to promote total abstinence.
4. As in point 3 above, the client continues to drink abusively and quits the counselling process. This may appear to be a failed exercise, however, the client has probably gained the knowledge that