Sandra hasjust entered addiction treatment for the first time. She is in an outpatient setting with a mixed group of male and female clients. When she talks with you about her significant other, she always uses the word partner, and when she talks about her struggles in the group setting, she emphasizes that everyone in the group is married and most have children. She says after her first few sessions that she does not know whether she will be able to stay sober, because much of her social life is around her friends who understand her and support her, but they often socialize together in a bar setting or in a social context where alcohol and marijuana are readily available. You believe that Sandra may be a lesbian.

1. How would you bring up sexual orientation with Sandra?

2. If she is a lesbian, how would you approach her social life in terms of relapse prevention?

3. If she is lesbian, how would you help her cope in the group treatment setting and in individual counseling with you?