Talking Therapies
Counselling (Person-Centred)
Administered by:
Trained Therapist
Suitable for:
Alcohol and/or other drugs
Support Type:
One-to-one or group support (in person, over the phone, by email, or over online live chat)
Locations:
NHS departments, private therapist offices, own home (if through online or by phone)
Accessed by:
NHS services can be accessed through a referral by a GP or through self-referral at https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-psychological-therapies-service/
Private services can be accessed through a database (such as https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/) to search for a local counsellor (private counselling can cost anywhere between £10 to £70 a session)
Counselling is a talking therapy in which a trained therapist talks with a person about their experiences, concerns, and problems they may have with a particular issue (in this instance, drugs or alcohol).
The purpose of person-centred counselling is to help a person gain a better understanding of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviour towards alcohol and/or drugs in order to help them identify suitable solutions to their issues.
The trained therapist is there to help guide a person through this process in a supportive and non-judgemental way, not to tell someone what they should do.
The number of counselling sessions needed depends on the perspectives of the trained therapist and on how helpful the person finds the sessions.
Counselling sessions are provided for free by the NHS, but access and wait times vary depending on where someone lives. Many charities, organisations, or private therapists offer private counselling for a fee (anywhere from £10 to £70 a session).
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Administered by:
Trained Therapist
Suitable for:
Alcohol and/or other drugs
Support Type:
Usually One-to-one (usually in person or over the phone, but online live chats may be available such as
https://www.iesohealth.com/en-gb)
Locations:
NHS departments or private therapist offices (own home if phone or online is offered)
Accessed by:
NHS services can be accessed through a referral by a GP or through self-referral at https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-psychological-therapies-service/
Private services can be accessed through a database (such as https://www.cbtregisteruk.com/Default.aspx) to search for a local counsellor (private counselling can cost anywhere between £40 to £100 a session)
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a commonly used talking therapy used to help manage a variety of different mental health and physical conditions.
Unlike other talking therapies, CBT sessions are highly structured and focus on current - not past - problems and situations. The basic concept behind CBT is that negative feelings and behaviours are influenced by thought processes. The role of the CBT therapist is to help a person break down their problems into more manageable chunks which can then be addressed.
CBT aims to teach a person how to change their thought processes in order to cope and overcome problems through practical techniques. In terms of alcohol and drugs, this could be by helping to identify triggers and suggest practical techniques to overcome them. CBT (and other talking therapies) can be completed in conjunction with other services and treatments for alcohol and/or drugs.
CBT is a fairly short course, lasting anywhere from 5 to 20 sessions, meeting either once or twice a week with the therapist. CBT is free on the NHS but just like other talking therapies, access and waiting times vary depending on where someone lives. CBT is also available privately, but the cost is more expensive than other talking therapies, costing anywhere from £40 to £100. As CBT is structured and requires a set number of sessions (unlike person-centred counselling), getting CBT through private methods can be very expensive.