This chapter reviews the theories emanating from the Maudsley Alcohol Pilot Project (MAPP), an action research project that took place between 1973 and 1977 to investigate the reasons community based therapists had such difficulties in establishing working alliances with alcoholic clients From the MAPP project came a theory linking Basic Role Requirements, Role Insecurity and Therapeutic Commitment to explain why these therapies were often unsuccessful, and a model of training to implement these ideas. This chapter will describe that basic work and then outline the ways, and the contexts, in which the ideas have been developed to inform training programmes. Much of the work was undertaken with therapists working with clients abusing alcohol though many of the training methods described have also been applied in more general psychotherapy training. Underlying this chapter is a belief that the core theories of psychotherapy whether applied to drinkers or other client groups, need to develop toward more pluralistic models which place the therapeutic relationship at their centre.

Download Key Concepts in the Training of Alcohol Psychotherapists.pdf