The leading manual on group-based treatment of substance use disorders, this highly practical book is grounded in the transtheoretical model and emphasizes the experiential and behavioral processes of change. The program helps clients move through the stages of change by building skills for acknowledging a problem, deciding to act, developing and executing a plan, and accomplishing other critical tasks. The expert authors provide step-by-step guidelines for implementing the 35 structured sessions, along with strategies for enhancing motivation. In a large-size format with lay-flat binding for easy photocopying, the volume includes 58 reproducible handouts. Purchasers get access to a Web page where they can download and print the reproducible materials. New to This Edition *Reflects significant developments in research and clinical practice. *Eight new sessions focusing on the brain and substance use, gratitude, self-control, mindfulness, acceptance, and more. *Updated discussions of motivational interviewing and the use of cognitive-behavioral techniques with groups. *41 of the 58 handouts are new or revised; all are now downloadable. See also Substance Abuse Treatment and the Stages of Change, Second Edition, by Gerard J. Connors et al., which explores how the transtheoretical model can inform treatment planning and intervention in diverse clinical contexts.

Motivation is key to substance use behavior change. Counselors can support clients' movement toward positive changes in their substance use by identifying and enhancing motivation that already exists. Motivational approaches are based on the principles of person-centered counseling. Counselors' use of empathy, not authority and power, is key to enhancing clients' motivation to change. Clients are experts in their own recovery from SUDs. Counselors should engage them in collaborative partnerships. Ambivalence about change is normal. Resistance to change is an expression of ambivalence about change, not a client trait or characteristic. Confrontational approaches increase client resistance and discord in the counseling relationship. Motivational approaches explore ambivalence in a nonjudgmental and compassionate way.