Heffner, Eifert, & Parker, 2003

This case study describes the treatment of a middle-aged, Caucasian male for alcohol dependence. Treatment focused on using the valued directions component of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a relatively new and promising intervention for substance use disorders. Rather than merely setting a treatment goal to "stop drinking," we helped the client identify valued life directions that promote an environment to support sobriety and put a plan into action for the client to "start living." Treatment resulted in improved quality of life and near 100% sobriety. The positive results of this clinical case complement the preliminary findings of a randomized clinical trial currently conducted to evaluate ACT in the treatment of polysubstance abuse. We discuss our treatment approach in relation to existing cognitive-behavioral interventions for alcohol dependence.