Referral
FASS provides free, confidential, one to one Alcohol Counselling throughout Fife for people in difficulty because of binge drinking, excessive regular drinking and dependency.
To refer yourself or someone else for counselling please telephone: 01592 206200
You can also read about other ways of arranging Alcohol Counselling with FASS in our Contacts section here.
When we receive your referral, FASS will be in touch with information about our Alcohol Counselling service. We will also provide details of a first appointment. FASS arranges 99% of appointments within 21 days. Most within 14 days.
Read more about coming for counselling in our main Counselling section here.
Availability
FASS Alcohol Counselling is available throughout Fife during the day and evening. Our counsellors are based in many Health Centres, surgeries and other venues within the community. A home visiting service is also available for people unable to reach one of our counselling venues.
With a variety of venues and times available, we try to arrange counselling at a time and in a place that is most suitable for you.
You can view where we provide Alcohol Counselling in the Locations section of the website here.
What is Alcohol Counselling?
Alcohol Counselling is a therapeutic relationship or partnership between a professionally trained counsellor and a client. It’s a relationship that enables the client to explore problems, stresses and ambitions and find personal strengths and resources to take control and deal with life’s issues:
- regular drinking or binge drinking
- underlying causes including personal, relationship, employment and lifestyle issues
- consequences of drinking including accidents, physical and mental health, relationship and financial problems
The aim of counselling is to help you change. In fact, the only demand counselling will ask of you is that you try to make positive changes.
How Alcohol Counselling works
FASS counsellors are specially trained to help people with alcohol-related problems.
FASS counsellors recognise that each person has a unique story made from their life choices, their experiences, feelings and thoughts – what has made them who they are and who they can become.
Counselling is a partnership, and it is the quality of this therapeutic relationship between client and counsellor that is the foundation of successful counselling.
To aid this, counsellors bring to this partnership a skilful application of core conditions:
- active listening
- an empathic approach
- a non-judgemental attitude
Upon this foundation, counsellors offer a range of Motivational Enhancement and Cognitive-Behavioural methods including behavioural self-control, coping skills and strategies and changing self-image/talk.
FASS counsellors use interventions recommended in 'NHS SIGN 74 Guidelines: Management of Harmful Drinking and Alcohol Dependence in Primary Care' and other evidence led research and guidelines.
FASS counselling programmes may include any of the following elements:
- specialist alcohol assessment
- care planning with the client
- working with significant others/family members
- arrangements for management of alcohol withdrawals, pre and post detox support
- exploration of deeper psychological/emotional/behavioural issues and problem solving
- abstinence and controlled drinking regimes
- cognitive-behavioural relapse prevention
- alcohol education, health behaviour change
- report and record keeping
- consultation with other professionals regarding client care
You can read more in our main Counselling section here.
