Online counselling
Counselling for substance use
Maybe you've started to wonder whether your drinking or drug use is more than a habit. Maybe someone close to you is struggling and you don't know how to help. Either way, this is a place to talk about it without being judged.
You might recognise some of this
- Using more, or more often, than you intended
- Trying to cut down and finding it harder than you expected
- Drinking or using to cope with stress, sleep, or difficult feelings
- Consequences at work, in relationships, with money or with your health
- Feeling guilty, secretive or defensive about it
- Or: worrying about a partner, parent, sibling or friend, and not knowing what to do
None of this makes you a bad person. It makes you someone whose way of coping has started to cost too much, and that is something counselling can help with.
How counselling can help
Understanding the role it plays. Substances usually do a job: they take the edge off, help you sleep, quiet a feeling, or fill a gap. Sessions look at what that job is for you, what tends to trigger use, and what else might meet the same need.
Your goal, not a script. Whether you want to cut down, stop, or first simply understand what's going on, the work starts from where you are. Somesh has worked in rehabilitation settings and takes a non-judgemental, practical approach.
Planning for the hard moments. Cravings, difficult evenings, old friends, setbacks: sessions help you prepare for them rather than be ambushed by them, and to treat a slip as information rather than failure.
If you're supporting someone else. Counselling can help you look after yourself, set boundaries you can keep, and think through how to talk to the person you're worried about.
A medical note. Stopping alcohol, benzodiazepines or some other substances suddenly can be dangerous after heavy or long-term use. If you think you may be physically dependent, please speak to a doctor before stopping. Counselling works alongside medical care, not in place of it.
How sessions work
Sessions are held online on Google Meet, privately, from wherever you feel at ease. A first consultation runs 45 minutes and is a chance to talk through what has been happening and what you'd like to be different. Follow-ups are usually weekly to begin with.
When you book, you'll be asked briefly what brings you here, along with your age and gender. Everything you share is confidential.
Questions people often ask
Do I have to stop completely to start counselling?
No. You can start wherever you are. Many people begin by wanting to understand their use better, or to cut down, and decide on further goals as they go.
Will you tell anyone?
What you share is confidential. The only exceptions are a serious risk to your life or someone else's, or where the law requires disclosure, and Somesh will always talk with you first wherever possible.
I'm worried about a family member. Can I book for myself?
Yes. Supporting someone with a substance-use problem is exhausting and often lonely. Sessions can help you cope, set boundaries and decide what you can and cannot do for them.
What if I relapse?
Setbacks are part of most people's path, and they are not judged here. A slip is something to understand and learn from, not a reason to stop.
Do you offer detox or rehabilitation?
No. HopeLooom offers counselling. If a medical detox or a residential programme would help, Somesh can help you understand the options and think through what fits your situation.
Begin where you are
Talking about it is not the same as being judged for it.
Book a first consultation, or call if you'd like to ask something first.