You are the expert on your own life, not me. My job is not to tell you what to do, or to decide what recovery should look like for you. It is to help you see what is going on, and to back you in doing something about it.
You will not be fixed, hurried or lectured
I will not try to fix you. What often helps most is the relationship itself: someone steady who stays with you while you are struggling, and works out with you what happens next. You can say what you have not said to anyone else, and I will not look away.
Wherever you are is where we start
You might be using every day, thinking about cutting down, or hoping to stop altogether. You might not be sure there is a problem at all. You may have been pressured, or feel pressure from family or people close to you, to get help, and not know where to start. That is fine; we can start there. I see addiction as learned behaviour, which means it can be unlearned; but that starts with where you are now.
Honest and empathetic
If I think something is not working, I will say so, without blame. I would rather you heard it from me than carried on regardless. I ask the same of you: tell me what is happening, and tell me when something I say or do is not helping.
Looking after yourself while you decide
Reducing the risks is worth doing in its own right. It does not mean you have given up on change; it means looking after yourself while you work out what you want.
What you do next is yours
Addiction is rarely a simple choice, and shame rarely helps anyone change. What happens next is up to you: the goals, the pace, the decisions. I will not do it for you and I will not push you; I will be with you while you do it. I believe people can change, and I think it lasts when the change is yours.
More than one way of working
My training is integrative, so I use what is useful for you rather than one method for everybody. I draw on contemporary neuroscience, cognitive behavioural approaches and harm reduction. The substance or behaviour may be different, whether it is alcohol, drugs, gambling or porn, but what is happening underneath is much the same, so the way I work is too. The detail does differ, which is why each has its own page.
Who I am
My background, qualifications and what I bring to this work are on my About page.