“Ali brought a calm, warm, presence combined with insightful questions to help me to change my relationship to alcohol. They offer expertise grounded both in their personal experience and study. I felt like I could deeply trust their counsel and through their support and coaching I gained deeper trust in myself. Ali was a companion on a journey I didn’t know I could take, and I am so grateful.”

Siobhan, Seattle

Your journey, your starting point, your end point

Drinking over and above the amount we’d really like can create a lot of shame. It might be that you’re having a couple of glasses more than you’d like at dinner, but it seems to be becoming a bit of a pattern. Or it might be that on nights out you’re drinking more than you’d like, or maybe bingeing, by ‘saving up’ alcohol credits not drinking in the week and then going over what you’d prefer at the weekend. Or maybe you feel trapped in a daily cycle of drink too much, wake up regretful and with good intentions to change, but by lunchtime, mid-afternoon, these have all gone out the window.

It can feel hard, lonely and isolating changing our drinking, particularly if we feel we’re the only ones experiencing difficulties with drinking. Below I outline some of the common feelings that come with drinking more than we’d ideally like, whether that’s some here and there, or none at all. You might recognise yourself in some of these

We might start to lose our confidence in ourselves, feel bad about who we are and what we’re doing, and feel like we’re letting other people down. Our esteem might dip, we might doubt our abilities and worth as partners, parents, friends and lovers.

Deep down whilst we might know we need to change in some way, we might also be afraid of what that might mean for us.

• We might wonder who we are without a drink, or whether we’re still going to be liked and accepted if we’re drinking differently to how we used to.
• We might be worried about how we’ll relax, unwind and have fun.
• We might wonder how we’ll handle family events, special occasions and holidays.
• Perhaps we’re worried whether people will still want to socialise with us, or date us.
• We might wonder how we’re going to fit in when it seems like everyone around us is drinking.

Truth is, if you’re feeling any of these things, you wouldn’t be the first person, and for sure you won’t be the last. All these fears and questions are completely normal, and they can really hold us back. If you recognise yourself in any of the above, feeling like you’re stuck, wanting to change and yet also scared of what that means, it might be helpful to know you’re far from alone. 

Many people who’ve changed their drinking have felt just like this. And many have done so successfully and have come out the other side feeling stronger, happier and no longer living under that cloud of shame. 

It might not feel like it right now, but I believe it’s possible for to get to a stronger, happier place too. From wherever you’re starting right now, whether you have tried before or not, and whatever your end goal, I can help you get there.

If any of this sounds like you, reach out and let’s have a confidential, judgement and shame free chat about where you are, where you’d like to be, and any concerns you might have.

“Working with Ali really helped me work out some of my drinking patterns. They gave me just what I needed at a time I was looking at all kinds of stuff in my life, and our sessions gave me a lot of food for thought!

Jerome, Amsterdam

Identify and address your triggers, patterns and obstacles

Stopping drinking alcohol is just one aspect of changing. We also need to sift through all the reasons we do it in they ways that we do – all the whys, all the triggers, all the stories we tell ourselves and have come to consistently rely on – discarding what doesn’t serve us and replacing it with what does.

In doing so we can create the kind of lives we deserve, free of all that drinking shame, lives where we can be our most authentic selves, showing up in all the ways we want to for the people around us.

• I help clients unpick what underlies their drinking, helping them to identify and address patterns, triggers and sticking points.
• Providing motivation and accountability, I support clients in planning for change, putting their plans into action
• As we progress, I help clients reflect on their experiences, and work out how to put those reflections into action, refining and finessing their approaches.

I also bring psychodynamic approaches and principles from my counselling training into my coaching practice, helping clients better understand their emotions and unconscious patterns of behaviour in order to increase self-awareness and create sustainable change.

In this collaborative process I aim to help clients build the kind of lives they want, where drinking plays no more of a part than they want, and maintaining their new normal becomes second nature.

I am based in the UK and have an international client base. As such I work mainly online, although I can offer face to face working in South London.

Contact me to book a free introductory chat and find out if we’re a good fit.

© 2024 Ali Press Therapeutic Coaching