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The key to a successful brief intervention is to get patients to identify reasons for them to change their behaviors themselves, and then provide them with the resources to do so. Comparatively, telling patients the reasons you think they should change may make them defensive and actually less willing to change their behaviors.

Patients who are alcohol-dependent will likely need additional services, but providing a brief intervention may prompt them to seek help sooner and may actually result in a reduction of alcohol use.

The techniques we discussed earlier about getting a patient to open up would also apply to a brief intervention. A brief intervention should be conducted in an empathetic way, so that patients know you're listening and that you care about helping them.

It's important to:

• Avoid labeling or judging
• Be optimistic
• Assure patients that the choice of what they want to do with their behavior is entirely up to them
• Summarize the pros and cons they've communicated about making a change
• And most importantly, make them feel valued and respected. People are more likely to change when they feel that you care about them and believe in their ability to change.

In addition to a brief intervention, your patient will need information about alcohol-treatment resources. Depending on their readiness for change, they may resist a direct clinical referral; but most people are willing to take a printed list of resources.