The First Session with Substance Abusers: A Step-by-Step Guide

It is during the critical first session with substance abusers that clinicians have the first, and all too often the last, opportunity to break through the wall of denial and create an atmosphere of trust that is so crucial to changing behavior. Written by a father-daughter team of clinical psychologists, The First Session with Substance Abusers outlines a proven plan for conducting an initial session that can uncover substance abuse problems with clients no matter how resistant or manipulative they may be. Applying the methods outlined in this book, psychologists and health professionals can use the first session to assess and evaluate the depth and duration of the substance abuse problem and motivate the client to begin the most appropriate form of treatment.

NICHOLAS A. CUMMINGS is the president of the Foundation for Behavioral Health and Distinguished Professor at the University of Nevada, Reno. He is the former president of the American Psychological Association, founder of California School of Professional Psychology, and founding CEO of American Biodyne.

JANET L. CUMMINGS is president of The Nicholas and Dorothy Cummings Foundation and in the indepAndent practice of psychotherapy in Scottsdale, Arizona. She was formerly a staff psychologist at American Biodyne.

Series Editor, Jeanne Heaton, author of Building Basic Therapeutic Skills, is a psychologist at Ohio University's Counseling and Psychology Services and is in private practice in Athens, Ohio.