My Approach

💬 My Approach

Real. Respectful. Rooted in both experience and evidence.

I don’t believe in shame. I don’t believe in scare tactics.
And I definitely don’t believe in telling a woman to “just stop drinking” without helping her understand why she drinks in the first place.

That’s where my approach is different — because I don’t just focus on the alcohol.
I focus on you — the woman behind the glass.

I don’t do recovery.
I do transformation — emotional, practical, and deeply personal.
This work isn’t about rules or rock bottoms.
It’s about returning to yourself and building a life that actually feels good to wake up to.

🌀 When Programs Didn’t Work for Me

For years, I bounced around addiction rehabs and sat in rooms where recovery programs were practised. And while I could get sober… I could never stay sober.

It wasn’t until I stepped away from those programs that I realised something important:
It wasn’t that I was stupid.

It was that the programming being forced on me wasn’t made for someone like me.

And that’s the thing — they’re called “programs” because they’re designed to break you down and reprogram you to behave in a way that fits into societal norms. In other words:
“Be a good girl.”

Well… do you really think that was helpful for a strong-minded, wild Irish woman like me? 😏

🔄 Dual Diagnosis:

When There’s More Going On

Most of the women I work with are struggling with more than just their drinking.
They’re dealing with:

Anxiety

Depression

ADHD

Grief or trauma

Chronic pain or illness

High levels of stress, often while holding down jobs and caring for others

This is what we call dual diagnosis — when alcohol use and mental health overlap.
And here’s the truth:

👉 Ignoring one while treating the other is a recipe for burnout, relapse, and self-blame.

So I don’t separate the two.
I work with both — gently, holistically, and with fierce respect for your story.

🩷 Harm Reduction:

Helping You Drink Less, Not Shame More

You don’t have to “hit rock bottom” to want change.
You don’t have to quit forever to feel better.
And you absolutely don’t need someone lecturing you like a schoolgirl in detention.

I believe in harm reduction — small, manageable changes that support your wellbeing.

That might mean:

Taking a few nights off each week

Understanding your emotional triggers

Tracking your habits with a visual tool (like my magnet calendar)

Switching to drinks that don’t sabotage your sleep or sanity

Learning to pause instead of spiral

It’s about doing what works for you — not forcing yourself into a rigid plan that doesn’t fit your life.

👣 Lived Experience:

I’ve Been There Too

This isn’t just textbook knowledge.
This is my life.

I’ve sat on the floor, drink in hand, whispering, “never again.”
I’ve been sober for ten years… and relapsed.

I’ve battled emotional pain that made vodka feel like the only friend that wouldn’t judge me.

And I’ve rebuilt myself — not into someone “perfect,” but into someone real, resilient, and still healing.

So when I work with you, I’m not coming from a pedestal.
I’m walking beside you. Laughing with you. Crying with you when needed.

And reminding you:

You are not broken — you're just hurting.
And that’s something we can work with.

🧭 What Working With Me Looks Like

Every woman is different. So I tailor my support to you. But it often includes:

⭐ A gentle alcohol audit to see where you’re at — no judgment

⭐ Emotional mapping to uncover your drinking triggers

⭐ Looking at your overall health — are you living with chronic pain or an illness that pushes you to cope with alcohol?

⭐ Exploring your environment — are you in a home where you feel safe, or constantly battling with landlords or councils for support?

⭐ Checking your relationships — are you surrounded by people who respect you… or those who belittle, ignore, or use you?

⭐ Asking the big question — do you feel valued in your home, your job, your family, your friendships?

⭐ Building simple mindset shifts to help you feel more in control

⭐ Education around dual diagnosis and emotional habits

⭐ Helping you create habits that work in real life — not just on a worksheet

⭐ Providing a safe, confidential space to speak freely (you can even use a nickname or avatar)

⭐ And of course… a bit of Irish humour — because feck it, sometimes all you can do is laugh

🌼 My Promise to You

I’ll never ask you to be perfect.
I’ll never judge your past.
And I’ll never tell you who you should be.

I’ll simply help you get closer to the woman you want to be —
one step, one choice, one soft revolution at a time.

I’ll always be on your side, and I’ll always fight your corner.

And if you ever phone me saying, “I’m going to buy alcohol,”
I won’t try to stop you.

I’ll simply remind you of the safety procedures we’ve put in place —
so that if/when you do drink, you’ll do less harm to yourself or anyone around you.
Because this is real harm reduction — and it could save your life.