You may be visiting this page for any of a number of reasons: Maybe someone else - a partner or family member - is concerned about your drinking; or you may be concerned about someone else's drinking; or maybe you are concerned about your own drinking - whether you are convinced you have a problem, or are just wondering about it. In any of these cases, I'd be happy to talk with you, and I hope I can help.
If you are concerned about someone else's drinking, I would be happy to be a "sounding board" (i.e., the supportive, non-judgmental listening that is critical to almost any psychotherapy or counseling), help you sort out your concerns, give you information and feedback, and help you identify options for yourself. If you are concerned about your own drinking, I can help you assess your drinking and whether it would serve you to make a change. If you conclude that you have reason to make a change, I can support you in doing so, and/or refer you to a support group or therapy group. (Group treatment is often helpful for alcohol problems, but some people prefer individual treatment instead.)
You may notice that the paragraph above doesn't sound very "confrontational": That's because being confrontational is not my approach to assessing and addressing alcohol concerns. Rather, I use an "eclectic" approach (i.e., drawing from many different orientations) that emphasizes respect for your perspective and autonomy (You're in charge of your life!), and helping you clarify your concerns and motives. I draw heavily on an approach called Motivational Interviewing. Here is a client's introduction to the Motivational Interviewing style, which is used to help people with alcohol problems as well as to make other lifestyle changes:
pro.psychcentral.com/a-clients-guide-to-motivational-interviewing/005825.html#
, and here is an introductory article aimed at a professional audience but which may also be helpful, by Stephen Rollnick, Ph.D. and William Miller, Ph.D., two of the originators of the approach:
www.motivationalinterview.net/clinical/whatismi.html
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In any event, if you are having problems that you think may involve alcohol, good for you for considering getting help. Feel free to call me at 608-271-8799, and leave a confidential voicemail message: I would be happy to meet with you and try to help.
