Effective Help for
Dependencies & Compulsions
Break free and reclaim control, at your own pace, in person across Hampshire or online.
Counselling, CBT & hypnotherapy in Fareham, Hampshire, and online
Support for addiction, dependency and compulsive habits
Confidential, judgement-free therapy that looks at what drives the behaviour, not just the behaviour itself. Alongside your medical care, in person in Fareham or online across the UK.
Fareham, Hampshire, plus online therapy UK wide
Free · Confidential · No obligation · You set the pace
Please read this first
Stopping alcohol or certain drugs suddenly can be dangerous, and in some cases life threatening. If you are physically dependent, speak to your GP or a local drug and alcohol service before you make any big change, so that withdrawal can be managed safely.
Talking therapy is not detox, and it is not a substitute for medical treatment. We work alongside your GP and any NHS or specialist service you are already using, and for some people that medical support needs to come first.
Free NHS drug and alcohol services are available in every area, and you can self-refer without going through your GP.
Free, confidential helplines, whatever stage you are at
- DrinklineAlcohol: 0300 123 1110, weekdays 9am to 8pm, weekends 11am to 4pm
- FRANKDrugs, free 24/7: 0300 123 6600
- National Gambling HelplineFree 24/7: 0808 8020 133
- SamaritansFree, any time of day or night: 116 123
It is not about willpower
Dependency is not a weakness
Whether it involves alcohol, drugs, gambling, food, nicotine or a compulsive habit, dependency is rarely a matter of willpower. It usually grows out of emotional needs and learned patterns, and out of the way the brain comes to expect relief or reward from something.
That is part of why trying harder so often fails, and why there is nothing here to be ashamed of. We look beneath the surface at what the behaviour is doing for you, so that any change you make has something underneath it.
You also do not need to know which therapy you need. That is our job. Tell us roughly what is going on and we will match you with the right therapist.
Where we can help
Areas we work with
If what you are dealing with is not listed, get in touch anyway. We will either help or point you towards someone who can.
Alcohol and binge drinking
Understanding the triggers behind drinking and building other ways to cope, alongside medical support where that is needed.
Drug dependency
Confidential space to look at what sits underneath drug use, working alongside your GP or NHS service.
Gambling
Support to interrupt the cycle of compulsive gambling and to deal with the shame and debt stress that so often come with it.
Pornography use
Private, tailored help where use has become compulsive and is affecting your relationships or daily life.
Learn more →Smoking
Help to stop smoking by working on the habits and triggers that drive the urge to light up.
Learn more →Vaping
Support with nicotine and with the psychological pull of vaping, which is often the harder half.
Learn more →Sugar and food
A kinder approach to compulsive eating and sugar cravings, without rigid rules or shame.
Learn more →Hair pulling and skin picking
Gentle, practical help with body-focused repetitive behaviours.
Learn more →Nail biting
Replacing nail biting with calmer habits and a bit more room to think.
Learn more →How we help
Working with the causes, not just the habit
We bring together counselling, CBT, hypnotherapy and Hypno-CBT, and shape the approach around you and around whatever other support you are getting.
- Space to look at the causes, such as stress, past experiences, low self-worth or something you have never told anyone
- Practical work on triggers and urges, including what to do in the moments that feel hardest
- Support with the shame that so often keeps people stuck and silent
- Help to rebuild the rest of it, since relationships, sleep, work and money are usually caught up in this too
Nobody here will tell you what your goal has to be. For some people that is stopping, for others it is cutting down or understanding it first.
An honest answer
What therapy can and cannot do
We would rather be straight with you than oversell it. Talking therapies, particularly CBT, have a solid evidence base for helping people change addictive and compulsive behaviour. Hypnotherapy is used widely in this area and many people find it helpful, though the research behind it is thinner than for CBT and we will not pretend otherwise.
What no therapy can do is guarantee an outcome, remove the need for medical care where there is physical dependence, or make the work effortless. Anyone promising a cure or a permanent fix in one session is overpromising.
What therapy does offer is a place to understand what is happening, practical ways to handle the difficult moments, and someone in your corner while you do something genuinely hard.
No surprises
What happens when you get in touch
- 1
You send a message or call
A line or two is plenty. You do not have to explain anything you are not ready to explain.
- 2
A free 15 minute call
A relaxed, confidential chat with an experienced therapist. If we think a medical or specialist service should come first, we will say so.
- 3
We match you with the right therapist
We suggest the approach and therapist we think fits, in person in Fareham or online, and you decide whether to start.
Counselling from £72 a session. Hypnotherapy and CBT from £90. See all fees
Change rarely happens in a straight line
Setbacks are part of this for most people, and they are not a sign that you have failed or that it is not working. What matters is what happens next, and you will not be judged here for any of it.
Good to know
Questions people ask us
Does needing help mean I am weak?
No. Dependency is driven by emotional patterns and by the way the brain learns to expect relief or reward, not by a lack of willpower. Asking for help is usually the hardest part, and you will be met here with understanding rather than judgement.
Is it safe to just stop on my own?
Not always. With alcohol and with some drugs, particularly benzodiazepines, stopping suddenly can cause serious and occasionally life threatening withdrawal. Please speak to your GP or a local drug and alcohol service before making a big change, so it can be managed safely. Therapy works alongside that, not instead of it.
Do I have to be ready to stop completely?
No. Plenty of people come in unsure what they want, or wanting to cut down rather than stop. Being uncertain is a normal starting point, not a reason to wait. We will work with where you actually are.
Is what I say confidential?
Yes. Your sessions are private and treated with the strictest confidence. In the rare situation where there is a serious risk to someone's safety, a therapist may need to involve others to help keep people safe, and they would talk that through with you. Nothing is shared with family, employers or your GP without your agreement.
Can therapy work alongside other support?
Yes, and it often works best that way. Our support sits alongside your GP, NHS drug and alcohol services, medical treatment, and groups such as AA, NA or GA. Many people use a combination, and we are happy to be one part of it.
Is this the same as rehab?
No. We are an outpatient therapy practice, not a residential or detox service, and we do not provide medical treatment or prescribe. If what you need is detox or a residential programme, we will say so honestly and help you think about where to go next.
What if I relapse?
It is common, and it is not a reason to stop coming or to feel you have wasted anyone's time. A setback usually tells us something useful about a trigger or a gap in the plan. Please do come back rather than disappear.
How many sessions will I need?
It varies a great deal, depending on what you are working with and how long it has been going on. You will get an honest sense of it after the first session or two, and you are never tied into a block you have not chosen.
Can I get help if it is someone else's drinking or using?
Yes. Living with someone else's dependency takes a real toll, and support for that is legitimate in its own right. Al-Anon, Nacoa and DrugFAM also offer specific help for families, and your GP can point you to local services.
Do you offer this online?
Yes. We offer sessions in person at our Fareham practice and online across the UK. Many people find a difficult subject easier to raise from their own home, and online sessions work just as well for this.
Whenever you are ready, we are here
Start with a free 15 minute call. A relaxed, confidential conversation with an experienced therapist, a chance to be heard and to ask anything, with no cost and no obligation.