Sarah Willocks

Currently accepting new clients. 

Are you worried about your own addiction, or someone else's?

I'm Sarah Willocks, an online psychotherapist specialising exclusively in addiction (alcohol, drugs and prescription medication, gambling, gaming, pornography, compulsive sexual behaviour and other compulsive behaviours) and in supporting the families affected by it. I work with people who are still using. You don't have to have stopped, or even be ready to stop, to start understanding what's happening and what needs to change.

If addiction is part of your life

Life can get very hard once addiction takes hold. I view addiction as learned behaviour, which means it can be unlearned. Recovery is about understanding what the addiction is providing, and building a life that is fulfilling enough to replace it.

We start with where you are. I don't require abstinence to begin and I don't set the goal for you. For some that is abstinence, for others moderation. I'll support you in achieving whichever one you set. If your goals change, we work towards the new ones.

I understand addiction from both sides. I have twenty years of personal experience with Class A drugs, and professional experience in addiction services. I know how difficult this can be; however, I strongly believe that people can recover and, with support and knowledge, go on to live better lives than before substance use or behavioural addictions.

For families

Your experience as a family member is different from the person who is using, and it requires its own specialist support. There is a lot of contradictory advice. Enable or don't enable. Confront or don't confront. Set boundaries or stay close.

We will work together to understand your situation and where you need support. The aim is to reduce the impact addiction is having on your own life and find a way forward, whatever the person you love chooses to do. You don't need to wait for them to get help before you get help.

Understanding how addiction was learned is where change begins. Substance and behavioural addictions can, for a time, fill a void. Something that once provided relief or meaning can start to take both away, and the cost builds up over time.

Repeated, rewarding behaviour trains the brain towards doing more of it, while narrowing the routes away from it. With practice and the right help, the brain can learn new ways of coping.

My approach is integrative and human. I draw on contemporary neuroscience, cognitive behavioural approaches and harm reduction, and we agree together what works best for you, rather than fitting you into one framework. I understand there are many roads into addiction, but we will focus on yours. I won't judge you or tell you what to think; I will work alongside you, listen to what matters to you, and help you work out what you want from our work together. I also firmly believe that people are more resilient than addiction makes them think.

For families

Living alongside addiction brings its own particular kind of fear, despair, anger and frustration. Many family members are exhausted and frightened, and some simply don't know what to do next. You may have tried everything, or you may not know where to start. Either way, you need support of your own, and not only in your role of helping the person you love. I work with families openly and without blame, and I will take the time to understand what you are living with. Family work is a specialism in its own right; I hold advanced training in this area, and I was a Senior Family Practitioner in NHS addiction services, working only with families.

Our first session is an initial assessment, giving us time to get to know each other, talk about what is happening for you, and consider whether I am the right therapist for you. There is no pressure to commit to ongoing sessions, and if either of us feels I am not the right fit, I will help you find someone who is.

Sessions are 50 minutes, online by secure video. Before we start, I will send you my working agreement, which sets out how we work together and what you can expect from me. In the first session, you can ask me anything and tell me as much or as little as you want. After that, we agree how often to meet and review it as we go.

Before booking, I offer a free 30-minute phone call so you can ask me questions and decide whether you want to work with me.