Brief counseling interventions of
10-15 minutes with feedback about
drinking, advice, and goal setting
(Cooper, 2006) can be initiated with
follow-up contact after the patient
has progressed through withdrawal.
Interventions should include counseling
the patient about setting a
goal for a reduction in alcohol consumption
and identifying ways to
achieve that goal. A systematic
review of 11 randomized, controlled
trials found persons who received
such an intervention had significantly
reduced their alcohol intake
at 6 months following treatment
(McQueen, Howe, Allan, & Mains,
2006).