As an Independent Counsellor I am able to work with someone to help them to gain control of their drinking or drug use.  I am not, however, able to prescribe any medication, recommend treatment, or work with someone whose addiction is at a level where they need medical intervention.

When working with someone who has concerns over their drinking or drug use I would start by helping them to recognise any patterns to their drinking or drug use. 

Once they are aware of the patterns of drinking or drug use (the amount they are using, the circumstances they use in, the people around them when they are using) we can start looking at what emotions are behind the drink or drug use. 

This in turn will give us both an indication of what needs to change in order for the individual to gain control over their use. 

Once we have identified what needs to change we can work together to find the 'tools' to start to implement the changes.

If the individual wants to learn about what caused the problem to develop in the first place I am also able to work with them on a longer term basis to explore their past experiences and relationships in the hope of gaining insight into the cause of the problem.