& Psychotherapy
Addiction Counselling in the Sutherland Shire
Caringbah, in person or online.
Addiction counselling with me is for adults whose drinking, drug use, gambling or prescription medication has more say over their life than they'd like. We meet regularly, in Caringbah or online. You don't need to have stopped, and you don't need a referral. I'm Wade Eames, a PACFA Registered Clinical counsellor and psychotherapist (28644) at Next Steps Counselling & Psychotherapy.
It's four o'clock on a Friday and you've already decided you won't drink tonight. By six you've talked yourself round. By nine you're working out how much is left in the fridge, and the part of you that made the promise has gone quiet.
Or it's the betting app you deleted in the morning and put back on your phone at lunch. Or the tablets that were for your back, a while ago now.
Most people I see have tried to stop on their own, often more than once. That says nothing about your willpower. The drinking, using or betting has been doing a job for you, usually for a long time, and it makes sense that it won't let go just because you've told it to.
What does addiction counselling with me involve?
It starts with you rather than the substance. We look at what's going on in your life now, what the drinking, using or gambling does for you, and what it's costing you. There's no lecture, and I won't pretend it's simpler than it is. We go at your pace, and what we're working toward is something we decide together.
I use IFS (Internal Family Systems) more than anything else. In IFS terms, the part of you that reaches for a drink or a bet is a protector. It found something that takes the edge off a feeling that seemed too big: shame, loneliness, panic, grief, the noise in your head at 2am. Fighting that part rarely holds for long. Getting to know it does more, because once we understand what it's protecting, there's room to look after that in another way. More about IFS
We also work with your body. A lot of craving is a nervous system trying to get out of a state it can't stand. Polyvagal-informed work, mindfulness-based relapse prevention and DBT skills help you ride out an urge long enough for it to pass, and notice it coming earlier next time.
The relationship comes first, and the rest flows from there.
What's usually underneath an addiction?
Usually something that hurt before the habit started. Trauma, from childhood or more recent. Grief that never had room. Anxiety or depression that a drink quietened for a few hours. Or a long stretch of carrying too much on your own. The drinking, using or gambling often began as a way through, and only later became the problem.
When addiction sits alongside a mental health issue, it's called dual diagnosis. It's common, and the two tend to feed each other, so I work with both together rather than asking you to sort one out first.
If trauma is a big part of it, there's more on the trauma counselling page. For memories that keep pulling you back to the same place, I'm trained in EMDR and can bring it into the work. EMDR sessions run 90 minutes ($195). More about EMDR
Do I have to stop before I start counselling?
No. You can start while you're still drinking, using or gambling, after a relapse, or when a stretch of sobriety is starting to wobble. We start where you are. Stopping completely is a fine goal. So is cutting back, or getting it back under your own control. We work out together which one is yours, and I'll be honest about what I'm seeing along the way.
If you're drinking heavily every day, or taking benzodiazepines or opioids, stopping suddenly can be medically risky. Talk to your GP about withdrawal before you cut down. Counselling sits alongside that.
What if I relapse?
A relapse doesn't mean you've failed, or that counselling has stopped working. It tells us something about what was happening at the time, and what that part of you was trying to manage. So we get curious about it. Shame tends to make the next one more likely, and you've probably got enough of that already.
What kinds of addiction do I work with?
I work with alcohol, drugs including cannabis and stimulants, prescription medication, and gambling, whether that's sports betting, the pokies or online betting. Often it sits alongside trauma, PTSD, anxiety or depression. You don't need to call it addiction for it to be worth talking about. If something has more say over your life than you'd like, that's enough to start.
Who you'd be seeing
I know what it's like to sit on the other side, not knowing where to start or whether anything will change.
These days I work in private practice in Caringbah. I've worked at the Haymarket Foundation, in a trauma and drug and alcohol program that ran alongside the NSW Drug Court, at ACSO in dual diagnosis, at GambleAware in gambling harm, and at South Pacific Private Hospital.
How much does addiction counselling cost?
A 60-minute session is $150, and a 90-minute session is $195. I'm registered with Bupa, Medibank, HCF, ahm and ARHG, and what you can claim depends on your extras cover. There's no Medicare rebate, because I'm a counsellor and psychotherapist rather than a psychologist, and you don't need a GP referral or a Mental Health Care Plan.
I'm also an approved Victims Services NSW counsellor and SIRA-approved for NSW workers compensation (151287). Both are gap-free.
Where and when
In person, I'm at Level 1, 418 Kingsway, Caringbah on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays sessions are online over Zoom. Hours are 8am to 8pm Monday to Thursday and 8am to 6pm on Fridays, so you can come before or after work. Caringbah is a short drive from Cronulla, Miranda, Sutherland and Gymea.
How to start
Book online, or call or text me on 0479 155 439 if you'd like to ask something first. You don't need a referral, and you don't need to be ready to change anything. Coming to one session to see whether this fits is reason enough. If you're looking more broadly, there's an overview of counselling in the Sutherland Shire.
If you need support right now, Lifeline is 13 11 14. The NSW Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) is 1800 250 015, and GambleAware NSW is 1800 858 858. All three are free and open 24 hours. In an emergency, call 000.
Common questions
Do I need to be sober before I start addiction counselling?
No. Plenty of people start while they're still drinking, using or gambling. We start where you are, and cutting back is as good a goal as stopping.
Can I claim addiction counselling on Medicare?
No. Counsellors and psychotherapists aren't part of the Medicare rebate scheme, so a Mental Health Care Plan doesn't apply. You can claim through Bupa, Medibank, HCF, ahm or ARHG, depending on your extras cover.
Is counselling the same as rehab or detox?
No. Counselling is regular sessions that fit around your life, rather than a residential or medical program. It can sit before, after or alongside a rehab stay, or on its own. If you need help to withdraw safely, see your GP first.
Will you tell me I have to quit?
No. I won't give you an ultimatum. Cutting back and stopping are both fine goals. We work out what's driving the pattern and decide together what you're aiming for, and I'll be honest about what I see.
Can I see you about someone else's drinking, using or gambling?
Yes. If someone you love is drinking, using or gambling, I can help you with what it's doing to you, one to one. It takes its toll, and these sessions are about you.
Do I need a GP referral or a diagnosis?
No. You can book directly. You don't need a GP referral, a Mental Health Care Plan or a diagnosis, and you don't need to call it addiction.