You love your partner. You don’t love their alcohol abuse.
After all, you fell in love with a healthy person. You just wish they could understand how scared you are. But it seems like the more you try to help, the worse their drinking becomes. Is it any wonder you feel exhausted, anxious, and alone?
Your partner wasn’t always like this. For the most part, their drinking seems like it’s under control. But every now and then there is an episode that scares you.
Sometimes, you just need to know what will help.
If you feel like your partner is choosing alcohol over you, counseling for Concerned Significant Others can help. We guide you through effective strategies to communicate and take action. You can communicate your concern in a loving way – no ugly fights required.
We are here to guide you with strategies that work. We offer you both unbiased support and research-proven strategies to help you reduce your loved one’s problem drinking – even if your partner is not in treatment.
You can help your partner while being loving.
It’s hard to love someone who abuses alcohol. Over time, your partner’s alcohol abuse naturally transforms you into an Enforcer, where you find yourself policing their behavior. You don’t like being an Enforcer, and neither does your partner.
Our counselors can help you return to being a loving partner. Research shows that you can help your partner change without begging, pleading, or threatening.
Feel whole again.
One of the benefits of our integrative approach is that your health and well-being will also improve, empowering you to feel comfortable in your life again.
Counseling for significant others of alcohol abusers can help you:
- Understand the “why” behind their problem drinking
- Support your loving relationship – not your partner’s alcohol abuse
- Reduce your fatigue, stress, and anxiety
- Determine whether or not your partner can change
- Create a plan if your partner needs alcohol treatment
- Enlist support from friends and family while respecting your relationship
- Heal past wounds that get reactivated by your partner’s drinking
Your voice matters.
Even though friends, family members, and books offer well-intentioned advice, it’s important to start with what YOU want.
We understand that you are the expert of your life and relationship. We will explore the challenges you face today by understanding the history of your relationship. Through this process, we will illuminate opportunities for you to create a healthy future.
Frequently asked questions about Counseling for Concerned Significant Others others:
Q. Can counseling help my partner change their drinking behavior?
Yes. There is abundant research that effective strategies can be used to help reduce problem drinking and alcohol abuse - even if your partner is not the one being counseled.
Q. My loved one is a family member or friend (not a romantic partner). Can your counselors help me help my loved one?
Yes. Our counselors are trained to help you apply evidence-based techniques to help you help your loved one. We tailor strategies to match the specific nature of your relationship. Whether you are worried about a close friend or family member, we are here to help you find an effective path forward.
Q. Can one of your counselors stage an intervention?
At this time, we do not stage interventions. Our counselors can connect to a certified interventionist if this is the route you want to go. Our counselors are here to help you determine an approach that will be effective for your needs.
Q. What if my partner, family member, or friend is working with a counselor on your team?
Our counseling team is dedicated to maintaining your privacy when you go through the counseling process. Information you share will never be disclosed to a counselor on our team without your written authorization for release of information from your counselor to another.
Q. What if my partner wants to join me for a session?
Inviting your partner to a counseling session should be done with thoughtfulness and care. Your counselor will explore whether or not this is advisable. It is very important to us that we preserve the integrity of your counseling space while you work through the challenges you are facing. We may recommend couple’s counseling or individual treatment for your partner before scheduling a collateral session.
Q. How do I get started?
You can schedule an appointment by calling (312) 715-8234. Our client services coordinator will answer your questions and match you with the best counselor to meet your needs.
How We Help Partners of Problem Drinkers:
We validate your reality while helping you identify effective strategies.
Your experience in the relationship is our starting point. We work to understand your vision for the future while attending to your fears about the present. Textbook recommendations don’t take your specific relationship into consideration. Before recommending strategies, we will explore your hopes and concerns about what is possible.
Mobilize your inner strengths.
It can be disorienting to love a problem drinker – especially when it feels like your self-esteem has been destroyed as a result. It doesn’t help that alcohol abusers react with hostility when confronted. We appreciate how concerned significant others demonstrate tremendous resilience every day. We build on your inner strengths to help you find your voice.
Access a menu of recommended treatment options.
When it becomes clear that your partner is ready for help, we can connect you to a variety of treatment options. Our collective experience with every single level of alcohol rehab helps us determine the best fit for your partner. We take into consideration time, cost, and insurance status. We are here to support you in coordinating the next steps.
Begin the process of healing from traumatic stress.
Loving a problem drinker leads to many of the same symptoms as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), including hypervigilance (being on high-alert to your partner’s drinking behavior at all times), flashbacks (remembering the worst situations from the past about your partner’s drinking), sleep disturbance (waking up in the middle of the night worrying about your partner; being unable to fall asleep worrying about your partner and children), and numbing (struggling to identify your own thoughts and feelings due to constantly thinking about your partner’s drinking). Through guided support and collaborative insights,our counselors will help you discover strategies to help your loved one while identifying opportunities to heal.
Restore trust in your intuition - and yourself - even if your partner is unwilling to change.
People who abuse alcohol are sometimes unwilling to change. Even if your partner refuses to change their behavior, we can help you choose a path of integrity. You can build on your inner strength to feel good again. You can learn to trust your intuition – and yourself. We support your mind, body, and spirit as you determine your path forward.