Therapy for the things that are hard to say.
London and online across the UK.
Therapy for the things that feel hard to say
Addiction and compulsive behaviour
Compassion-focused therapy for addiction and compulsive behaviour
Whether it's alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex or pornography, most people arrive at this kind of therapy having already tried very hard to stop — and having concluded, somewhere along the way, that the problem is them. That they're weak, or broken, or lacking willpower.
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I don't work that way, and I don't believe that's what's happening.
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Compulsive and addictive behaviours are almost always doing a job: numbing, escaping, soothing, or filling something. They tend to take hold not because you're weak, but because they worked — they met a real need, at least for a while. The difficulty is that they stop working, and start costing, and then shame arrives and makes the whole thing worse. Because shame doesn't interrupt the cycle. It feeds it.
How I understand addiction and compulsive behaviour
My approach is compassion-focused. That doesn't mean soft, or vague, or "just be kind to yourself." It means we get genuinely curious about what the behaviour does for you, build other ways of meeting those needs, and steadily reduce the self-attack that keeps the loop spinning. For most people, that combination — understanding plus self-compassion — is what finally makes lasting change possible, after years of white-knuckling and relapse.
I work with:
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Alcohol and drugs — from "I think I'm drinking too much" to longstanding dependence you've hidden for years
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Gambling — including online gambling, and the particular shame and financial fear that come with it
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Compulsive sexual behaviour and pornography use — this has its own dedicated page
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Chemsex — where substance use and sex intertwine; an area of my published clinical research
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The shame, secrecy and self-criticism underneath all of these
What defines this work
Why me for this: I'm a clinical psychologist offering an evidence-based, non-judgemental, whole-person approach — not a rehab, not a 12-step programme (though I'll happily work alongside one if it helps you). My research and clinical specialism is shame and self-criticism, which sit at the heart of why addictive behaviours are so hard to face and so hard to talk about.
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You don't have to have hit "rock bottom" to deserve help. You just have to want something to be different.
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Confidential within the standard limits I'll always explain up front. If you're in crisis or experiencing withdrawal that could be dangerous (particularly from alcohol or benzodiazepines), please seek medical support first — your GP, NHS 111, or A&E — as some withdrawal needs medical supervision.