Therapy for Cutting Back on Alcohol

Specialty

A conversation without judgment

People reach out about alcohol for many reasons. Some notice that a nightly glass has become three. Some drink to manage stress, sleep or social anxiety. Some have had a scare, a hard conversation with someone they love or a morning they would rather not repeat. Others simply feel uneasy and want to understand what is going on.

You do not need to call yourself an alcoholic or commit to never drinking again to begin. We start with where you are and what you want. For some people the goal is to cut back. For others it is to stop. Both are legitimate starting points, and goals can change as you learn more.

I spent years leading addiction and behavioral health services before opening my private practice. That experience taught me that shame rarely helps anyone change, and that honest, respectful conversation often does.

Many people have tried to cut back on their own, with mixed results. A dry month that ends with drinking returning to the old pattern is common, and it does not mean change is impossible. It usually means the plan did not yet account for the situations and feelings that make drinking feel necessary.

• Drinking less
• Stopping altogether
• Stress and sleep
• Social drinking

How we work on it

Motivational Interviewing is at the center of this work. It is a collaborative, evidence-based approach designed for mixed feelings about change. Rather than arguing with you or lecturing, I help you look at what alcohol gives you, what it costs you and what matters most to you. People often discover reasons for change that are more personal and more durable than any rule.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps with the practical side. We look at the situations, thoughts and feelings that lead to drinking, such as the end of a stressful workday, loneliness in the evening or tension before a social event, and we build alternative responses you can actually use. DBT skills can help you ride out cravings and strong emotions without acting on them.

We track what you notice from week to week and adjust the plan based on what works for you.

Change is rarely a straight line. If you drink more than planned one week, we treat it as information rather than failure. What happened before, what you were feeling and what might help next time are far more useful questions than whether you did it right.

Looking at what drinking has been doing for you

Alcohol often serves a purpose, even when it causes problems. It may quiet anxiety, soften loneliness, mark the end of the workday or make a life transition feel less raw. If we remove it without addressing what it was doing, the need is still there.

That is why this work often connects to other concerns I help with, such as anxiety, depression, stress and burnout, and life transitions like retirement or divorce. We can look at the whole pattern while keeping the focus on your goals for drinking.

Relationships often come up as well. Partners, friends and family may notice changes before you do, or may drink alongside you in ways that make change harder. We can think through how to talk about your goals with the people around you, and how to handle social situations where alcohol is expected.

Getting started

I provide individual therapy by secure video to adults physically located in Connecticut, New York or Massachusetts during sessions. Meeting from home can make it easier to have an honest conversation about something that feels private.

The first step is a free consultation through the Work With Me page. We can talk about what you have noticed and what you would like to be different.

In network with most major insurance plans, including Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, UnitedHealthcare and Cigna, and a participating provider in the MultiPlan network. Your conversations are confidential within the limits explained at the start of therapy.