Counselling

In the context of alcohol and substance use, the role of a counsellor is to offer a safe, confidential, and non-judgemental space to talk openly about your relationship with drink and drugs. 

Counsellors can't tell you what to do. They don't give advice, offer opinions, or push a specific recovery path. Instead, the work is led by you, with the counsellor helping you make sense of your relationship with alcohol and substances, supporting you to make decisions that feel right for you. 

Coaching 

Coaching offers practical, structured support with a clear focus on moving forward. Sessions are goal-led and action-oriented, with time spent identifying what’s happening now, what you want to change, and how to take realistic, achievable steps between sessions.

Each coaching session includes clear weekly goals, personalised session plans, and SMART goal-setting (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound). This structure provides motivation and accountability, helping you turn intention into action.

Coaching support can focus on cutting down, changing drinking or substance-use patterns, or working towards abstinence, depending on what feels right for you. Progress is reviewed regularly, allowing goals to evolve as your confidence and clarity grow.

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A combination of Counselling and Coaching

Combining counselling with coaching offers a balanced and effective approach to working with alcohol and substance use. Counselling creates the space to explore the emotions, triggers, and behaviour patterns that sit beneath drinking or substance use — helping you understand the why without judgement. Coaching then brings a more direct, forward-focused energy, turning insight into action through motivation, accountability, and practical goal-setting. Together, this approach helps you make sense of what’s driving your use while offering guidance and direction to make a change.