Here are our answers to two common questions:

“Will it work?”

Or the question that comes later from others:

“Did it work?”

It seems many people think there is a magic cure for the mis-use of alcohol, a “treatment” that fixes the problem. We wish that was the case.

But it’s not. Leaving alcohol abuse behind means investing in a different future – one not focused on alcohol – and that takes effort.

“Can it work?” is a better question. For our clients the answer is yes. If you’re motivated and actively involved you will succeed in moving alcohol abuse into the “been there, done that” part of your history.

But if you’re passively waiting for “it” to work, or if you continue to build your life around alcohol and identifying yourself as an “alcoholic,” then your chances diminish to about zero.

We don’t blame you for asking. Traditional treatment programs routinely advertise programs and outcomes that bear no resemblance to reality.

Read the hype, or talk to them, and it sounds like you can spend one, two, or three months being pampered and then find, when you return home, the problem has miraculously evaporated during your absence. Just join their cult, abandon your spouse and family, and live happily after.

What’s the reality? Changing your self-destructive behavior takes time and attention and, yes, effort on your part, too. Rewarding? Yes. Interesting? Certainly. Worth it? Definitely. Easy? No.

Another unmentioned reality is that helping you make that change is also complicated. It means we need to understand different aspects of behavior; be good listeners; and have the ability to put together what’s said, and what’s unsaid. It means helping you find your unique solution – not imposing a one-size-fits-all “solution” that doesn’t fit much of anyone.

That’s not exactly something the average CD counselor, who has little or no real training, is going to provide to you – or even attempt. He or she is simply going to have you do the same things you could have done yourself, at home, for free: “Work the Steps,” attend “90 Meetings in 90 Days,” get a “Sponsor,” and so on.

That’s also the only follow-up you’ll get from those programs.

And you paid $40,000 – $200,000 for that?

Instead, think about how you’d like your life to be in a year and what’s most apt to get you headed in the right direction. Consider that being successful means being actively involved in changing.

Having trouble visualizing a better life? Download our free Goal Setting handout and let us walk you through the process.

You can end the alcohol abuse and put it behind you permanently. We don’t know the exact solution to your situation, but we do know how to find it.

And, as always, when you want to get started, give us a call!

Answering Phones

Callers are frequently surprised that we answer the phones ourselves. Call us and you’ll end up talking to one of us. No marketing department, no ex-clients, no run around.

And if we’re both busy we’ll get back to you ASAP. Just leave a message and let us know when to call.

Why don’t we have someone else fielding calls like everyone else?

Mostly because we think you deserve to talk to the same people you’ll be working with if you decide this is the right place for you. No surprises – not for you, not for us.

If we seem like a good match – when you’ve talked to each of us, or both of us together – it seems likely that we’ll work well together in person. Don’t you think?

But nobody else is going to give you that opportunity to screen who you’ll actually be working with.

No, we can’t always answer the phones every time they ring. We do spend a lot of hours with clients, after all. Still, we can usually get back to you within an hour or two.

And one of us can almost always talk to with you on the weekends between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time; and Monday – Thursday after 5:00 p.m.

Getting help is a big decision. It involves a significant investment of time, money, and effort. Don’t you think you deserve to know everything you can about who you’ll be entrusting your future to before you sign up?

We do, too. Give us a call and let’s start getting to know each other.

Across the U.S. and Canada: 888-541-6350.
In the Los Angeles area, or from Alaska: 760-580-5758 .

Tools We Use

Don’t forget to join the many others who’ve downloaded our free “triple threat”: Cost Benefit Analysis tool; Long Term Goal Planner; and Weekly Planner. All three are available for at:

Resources For You!

All three work best when you refer to them frequently; update them often; and focus on positives!!!!

For fast short term anxiety relief, the EOC Institute relaxation CDs continue to be a good and popular alternative to alcohol. We don’t endorse all of their claims, but we do use the CDs to quiet those anxious moments that intrude into our lives.

https://www.non12step.com/resources/alcohol-organizations

And please! Always feel free to call – for information or just to talk. We answer the phone personally from 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m., Pacific Daylight Time, Monday – Thursday, unless we are with clients, or from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Toll Free From the Lower 48 or Canada: 888-541-6350
In Los Angeles, or from Alaska: 310-541-635