Addiction Therapy
Changing Patterns of Addiction
Support for Compulsive Behaviours, Coping Strategies, and Sustainable Change
Addiction counselling offers a confidential, non-judgemental space to explore patterns of substance use or behaviours that no longer feel within your control. You may be struggling with alcohol, drugs, gambling, pornography, sex, work, or other compulsive behaviours that have begun to organise your life in ways you did not intend.
Rather than focusing solely on stopping behaviour, therapy looks at what addiction is doing for you, what it protects against, and why it has become difficult to let go. Meaningful and sustainable change comes from understanding these patterns, not relying on willpower alone. Professional addiction counselling can support you in regaining choice, reducing reliance on harmful patterns, and building a life no longer organised around addictive behaviours.
At Sommers Psychotherapy, addiction counselling is grounded in trauma-informed, relational therapy. We work collaboratively and at a pace that respects your safety, autonomy, and readiness for change. We work with you, not against your coping strategies, approaching addiction with curiosity and respect rather than correction.
Addiction Is Not a Failure of Willpower
Despite common myths, addiction is rarely about weakness, lack of discipline, or moral failing. More often, it develops as a way of coping with overwhelming emotion, chronic stress, anxiety, depression, shame, or experiences such as neglect, abuse, or trauma.
Addictive behaviours can temporarily regulate distress, numb pain, or restore a sense of control when other strategies feel unavailable. Over time, however, this strategy can begin to dominate.
Treating addiction means addressing both the behaviour and the emotional and relational conditions that sustain it, rather than focusing on control alone.
Addiction as a Survival Strategy
From a psychological perspective, addiction is often best understood not as a problem of self-control, but as a regulatory strategy. At some point, a substance or behaviour reliably soothed distress, created relief, or helped you function when other options felt inaccessible.
Over time, this strategy can become over-relied upon. The nervous system learns that this is the fastest or most dependable route to regulation, even when the costs begin to outweigh the benefits. Therapy focuses on helping the system develop new ways of regulating emotion and relating to others, so addiction is no longer required to do this work alone.
Many people also find that addressing underlying trauma or attachment patterns (see our [Attachment & Trauma page]) is central to sustainable recovery.
When Addiction Has Taken Hold
Addiction often tightens gradually, narrowing your sense of choice and freedom. You may notice:
Loss of control over substance use or behaviour.
Strong cravings or compulsive urges despite consequences.
Shame, guilt, or secrecy.
Strain or breakdown in relationships.
Impact on physical health, work, or finances.
Withdrawal symptoms when trying to cut down or stop.
Repeating habits that no longer align with your values.
These patterns are not moral failures. They are signs that something in the system is under strain.
You may also feel ambivalent about change — wanting relief while fearing what life might look like without it. Therapy makes space for this tension rather than trying to override it.
What Addiction Does to the Mind and Body
Addiction alters how the nervous system processes reward, threat, and emotional regulation. Over time, substances or behaviours can become the primary way distress is managed, reinforcing cycles of craving, relief, and regret.
In therapy, we work to understand:
The emotional and relational roots of addictive behaviour.
How triggers, stress responses, and thought patterns maintain addiction.
The role of trauma, anxiety, depression, or attachment patterns.
How addiction affects identity, self-esteem, and self-trust.
Understanding these processes creates the conditions for recovery that is compassionate rather than punitive, and sustainable rather than forced.
How Addiction Counselling Works at Sommers Psychotherapy
We explore your history with addiction, current patterns, mental health, and any risks or withdrawal concerns. This includes discussing safety and whether additional medical or specialist support may be appropriate. Together, we clarify goals, boundaries, and expectations for therapy.
Therapy is not organised around enforcing abstinence or a single definition of recovery. For some, stopping completely becomes the right goal; for others, harm reduction, stabilisation, or gradual change are safer starting points. The focus is on increasing choice, safety, and agency, rather than imposing outcomes.
Early work focuses on emotional regulation, reducing harm, and strengthening your sense of control. You are never pushed to disclose more than feels manageable. We begin identifying triggers, addictive patterns, and the functions these behaviours currently serve.
Using an integrative approach, therapy examines deeper patterns that sustain addiction: trauma history, attachment dynamics, internal conflicts, and relational stress. Our work may draw on:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Psychodynamic reflection
Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT)
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
As insight grows, therapy supports the development of alternative ways to manage distress, cravings, and difficult emotions. Recovery is not about perfection, but about increasing flexibility, self-trust, and choice so your life is no longer organised around addiction.
Setbacks or returns to addictive behaviour are not treated as failures, but as information. Together, we explore what shifted, what support was missing, and what the system needed in that moment, so future responses can be strengthened rather than shamed.
What We Work On Together
Understanding addiction without shame or moral judgement.
Reducing reliance on substances or harmful behaviours.
Managing cravings, urges, and emotional triggers.
Processing trauma and unresolved emotional pain.
Strengthening self-esteem and emotional resilience.
Improving relationships, boundaries, and communication.
Rebuilding trust in yourself and your decisions.
Supporting long-term recovery that fits your life and values.
Where appropriate, we may also discuss external resources such as medical care or peer support groups as complementary support, while therapy remains individual and confidential.
Why Choose Sommers Psychotherapy
Addiction-Informed, Accredited Therapists
All therapists are UKCP or BACP accredited and experienced in working with addiction, dependency, and compulsive behaviours within a trauma-informed framework.
A Safe, Confidential Space
A private, non-judgemental environment where you can talk openly about substance use, addictive behaviours, cravings, relapse fears, and shame without pressure or moralising.
Flexible and Accessible Therapy
Addiction counselling is available in London or online, allowing continuity of support alongside work, family life, or recovery commitments.
Relational, Evidence-Based Approach
We integrate trauma-informed talking therapy, psychodynamic and relational work, Compassion-Focused Therapy, and parts-based approaches to address the emotional and relational roots of addiction, not just the behaviour itself.
Focus on Sustainable Change
The focus is on lasting recovery, improved emotional regulation, rebuilt self-trust, and a life that is no longer organised around harm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Addiction counselling helps address the emotional, relational, and psychological factors that sustain addiction, while supporting healthier ways of coping and regulating distress. Therapy focuses on understanding patterns, reducing harm, and supporting sustainable change rather than relying on willpower alone.
Recovery is rarely linear. Many people move through phases such as awareness, stabilisation, exploration, change, and integration, often revisiting stages as life circumstances, stress, or support systems shift.
No. You do not need to have stopped using substances or behaviours before beginning therapy. Addiction counselling meets you where you are, with readiness and safety guiding the pace and focus of the work.
Therapy can support people struggling with a wide range of addictions and compulsive behaviours, including alcohol, drugs, gambling, pornography, sex, work, and other habits that have become difficult to control. The focus is less on the label and more on how the behaviour functions in your life.
Setbacks are common in addiction recovery and are not treated as failures in therapy. Instead, they are explored as signals that something in the system needed support. Therapy helps you understand what happened and how to strengthen future responses with compassion rather than judgement.
If there are significant withdrawal risks, medical complications, or safety concerns, additional support such as GP involvement, medical detoxification, or specialist services may be recommended alongside therapy. Where appropriate, this is discussed collaboratively and with your consent.
FEES - Please contact each practitioner directly.
£110
For in-person sessions
£95
For online sessions