A structured program designed to help you develop a healthier relationship with alcohol.
One size does not fit all. That’s a principle I’ve held for over 50 years of treating alcohol problems, and it’s the foundation of the Drink Smartly program. If you’re concerned about your drinking but feel like traditional treatment — with its insistence on labels and lifelong abstinence — doesn’t fit your situation, you’re not alone. And you’re not wrong for feeling that way.
The Philosophy Behind Drink Smartly
The Drink Smartly program represents what I believe treatment should look like: modern, pragmatic, and respectful of individual choice. Unlike traditional models that insist on complete abstinence as the only acceptable goal, this program recognizes what decades of research have confirmed — many people with mild to moderate alcohol problems can learn to moderate their drinking successfully.
This isn’t wishful thinking. It’s grounded in clinical science showing that alcohol problems exist on a spectrum from mild to severe, that cognitive-behavioral techniques are highly effective for changing drinking patterns, and that treatment works best when it respects the person’s own goals and circumstances. The question shouldn’t be “are you willing to do what we tell you?” It should be “what approach gives you the best chance of meaningful, lasting change?”
Who Is This For?
The Drink Smartly program is designed for people who are concerned about their drinking but don’t consider themselves “alcoholics” — and don’t need to. It’s for people who want to reduce their drinking rather than quit entirely, who haven’t experienced severe withdrawal symptoms, and who are motivated to make real changes in their relationship with alcohol. Many of my patients are high-functioning professionals and executives who are privately struggling — their careers are intact, their public lives look fine, but they know their drinking has crossed a line they’re not comfortable with.
If that describes you, this program was built with you in mind. You don’t need a label to get help. You need a tailored plan and a clinician who understands the nuances.
What to Expect
Treatment is individualized and confidential. The process begins with a comprehensive assessment — understanding your drinking patterns, health status, personal goals, and the emotional factors that may be driving the behavior. From there, I develop a customized treatment plan using our structured four-step approach that may include:
- Individual therapy sessions focused on changing drinking behavior and understanding the function alcohol serves in your life
- Cognitive-behavioral techniques to manage triggers and cravings — learning to find and use your “off switch”
- Strategies for dealing with the emotional and psychological factors that contribute to overdrinking, because drinking problems never develop in a vacuum
- Optional medication support when clinically appropriate — practical tools, not cures
- Ongoing monitoring and adjustment of goals as you learn more about what works for you
Whether you’re seeking to moderate your drinking or you discover through the process that abstinence feels like the better path, the program adapts to where you are. Moderation attempts often serve as a stepping stone — some people find they prefer the clarity that comes with not drinking at all, and they arrive at that decision on their own terms. Either outcome is a success.
The approach is informed by clinical psychology research and five decades of direct clinical experience. It’s flexible, intelligent help for discerning people who want more than a one-size-fits-all solution.
Getting Started
Taking the first step is often the hardest part, and I understand the hesitation. A confidential consultation is just a conversation — no commitment, no pressure. We’ll talk about your situation, explore what options might work best for you, and help you decide on a path forward that makes sense. The goal is progress, not perfection, and certainly not conformity to someone else’s idea of what recovery should look like.
