Behavioral Therapies for Alcohol Use Disorder

There are a number of well-researched, efficacious treatments for alcohol use issues. These include Motivational Interviewing, Relapse Prevention, Guided Self-Change, Contingency Management, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. These approaches rely on learning theories and share skill elements related to increasing awareness and building coping resources for moments of urges or cravings. They differ in their amount of explicit focus on mindfulness techniques, as well as expectations related to abstinence vs reduction of alcohol use as treatment goals. Behavioral treatments are best presented through a motivation-enhancing stance by the treatment provider, and Motivational Interviewing can be a standalone intervention or a means of building and maintaining motivation within other CBT interventions.