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Therapy in Alcohol Rehab: How Can It Help You Stop Drinking?

Starting therapy can feel daunting, especially if you’re not used to sharing much with others and worry about being judged.

But therapy for alcohol addiction isn’t about forcing you to talk or telling you how to live your life. It’s a space designed to support you, help you understand yourself better and give you practical tools to make lasting change at your own pace. 

The role of therapy in alcohol rehab is to help you understand why you’ve been drinking, what you’ve been trying to cope with and how you can build resilience in recovery.

At Abbington House, therapy isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s completely personal and tailored to your needs and experiences. It’s trauma-informed, meaning we’re sensitive to past experiences and never push you beyond what feels safe. And most importantly, it’s done at your pace, so you stay in control of your recovery journey.

Why Therapy Is a Key Part of Alcohol Rehab

Alcohol is rarely the only issue. For many people, it becomes a coping mechanism, something that quiets their anxiety, numbs their physical and emotional pain, or helps them feel in control for a moment.

That’s why simply removing alcohol isn’t enough. If we don’t explore what’s going on beneath it, relapse becomes more likely.

Therapy in rehab helps you:

    • Understand the emotional patterns driving your drinking

    • Process difficult life experiences, trauma, or grief

    • Learn tools for emotional regulation and stress

    • Build new ways to relate to yourself and others

    • Discover what a grounded, alcohol-free life could actually feel like

Types of Therapy Offered in Alcohol Rehab

Different people need different approaches. That’s why we offer a mix of therapies to meet you where you are.

Trauma Therapy

If you’ve experienced emotional, physical, or developmental trauma, it can leave deep imprints on your nervous system. Trauma therapy gently helps you feel safe in your body and mind again—without forcing you to retell everything.

We use approaches like:

    • Somatic grounding

    • Inner child work

    • Parts therapy (IFS-informed)

    • Narrative processing

CBT and DBT

These structured, evidence-based therapies help you work with thoughts, behaviours, and emotional responses. CBT focuses on shifting unhelpful thought patterns. DBT helps with emotional regulation, especially in people who feel overwhelmed or reactive.

Ideal for:

    • Negative self-talk

    • Impulsivity

    • Anxiety and low mood

    • Shame spirals or black-and-white thinking

Somatic and Nervous System Work

Sometimes talking isn’t enough because the body remembers.

Our therapists incorporate nervous system regulation practices to help you work with the physiological side of stress, trauma, and compulsion. That might include breathwork, grounding, light movement, or simply learning to recognise your own survival states (fight/flight/freeze/fawn).

Family and Relationship Therapy

Alcohol addiction doesn’t happen in a vacuum. If family patterns, attachment wounds, or relationship trauma are part of your story, we can support you in:

    • Rebuilding communication

    • Learning healthy boundaries

    • Repairing trust with loved ones (only if you want to)

    • Understanding how relationships shaped your coping

What Makes Alcohol Addiction Therapy at Abbington House Different?

Most rehabs focus on the behaviour. We focus on the person underneath it.

Our therapeutic approach is:

    • Trauma-informed: No shaming, forcing, or pathologising

    • Flexible: We meet our clients where they are, at a pace that works for them

    • Neurodivergent-aware: Therapy is adapted if you have ADHD, autism, or sensory needs

    • Consent-based: You’re in charge of what you share, and when

    • Relational: We don’t “fix” you, we work with you.

We’re here to help you feel safe enough to explore what’s really going on.

“Talking Never Worked For Me Before”

We’ve heard this from our clients a lot and it’s often because they were in therapy that felt surface-level so they didn’t feel safe enough to open up. Some felt their trauma wasn’t recognised and that the therapist just didn’t get it.

At Abbington House, therapy doesn’t follow a script. It starts with connection, consent and curiosity.

You’re not a problem to be solved. You’re a person with a story and we want to hear it.

What If I Don’t Feel Ready for Alcohol Therapy?

That’s okay.

Early in alcohol rehab, you may be tired, emotionally numb, or overwhelmed. We don’t force anyone to “go deep” right away.

You’ll have access to:

    • Emotional check-ins without pressure

    • Support from non-therapeutic staff who understand the recovery process

    • Space to rest, eat, and stabilise before therapy begins

    • Creative or body-based outlets when words feel too much

There’s no deadline on healing.

You Deserve More Than a Quick Fix

Therapy in alcohol rehab isn’t about fixing you. It’s about finally understanding yourself without shame.

If you’re ready to explore the patterns behind your drinking and how life could feel without alcohol, we’ll walk with you.

Ready to take the next step?

Our team is here to listen and understand. Contact us to learn more about trauma-informed addiction therapy at Abbington House.