Substance Misuse

Recovery is not about willpower. It is about understanding.

Confidential, compassionate therapy for substance misuse in Northern Ireland. We help you explore what has driven your use and build genuine, lasting change from a foundation of self-understanding rather than self-criticism.

Meet our team

Begin your journey

Calm counselling room with two armchairs for therapy sessions in Northern Ireland

Understanding Substance Misuse and the Path to Recovery

Why Substance Misuse Develops

Substance misuse almost never develops in a vacuum. Trauma, mental health difficulties, social environment, pain management, and the progressive nature of substance dependency all contribute to patterns of use that can feel impossible to change. Therapy helps you understand the full picture of your relationship with substances -- the function they have served, the needs they have met, and what needs to change for genuine recovery to be possible.

The Psychological Dimensions of Recovery

Recovery from substance misuse is as much a psychological process as a physical one. Shame, identity, relationships, emotional regulation, and the development of a meaningful substance-free life are all dimensions that require sustained therapeutic attention. Addressing these psychological layers is what distinguishes lasting recovery from repeated cycles of abstinence and relapse.

Support in Northern Ireland

NI Counselling provides confidential substance misuse therapy across Northern Ireland. Our therapists are experienced in working with people at all stages of their relationship with substances. All sessions are completely confidential within standard professional guidelines. In-person and online sessions are available.

Our Service Areas:

Belfast City

Co. Antrim

Co. Down

Derry/L'Derry

Remote NI

UK-wide Online

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Expert Methodologies for Lasting Relief

We don't believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. We utilize the gold standard of evidence-based psychological interventions.

Motivational Interviewing

We use motivational interviewing to help you explore your ambivalence about change with honesty and without pressure. This collaborative, respectful approach meets you where you are and helps you connect with your own reasons and readiness for change rather than imposing an external agenda.

Addressing Root Causes

Lasting recovery requires addressing what substance use has been doing for you -- what pain it has managed, what trauma it has numbed, what need it has met. Our therapists are trained to work with the underlying emotional and psychological material that drives misuse, not just the surface behaviour.

Building a Meaningful Recovery

Sustainable recovery is not just about stopping -- it is about building a life in which substances no longer serve a necessary function. We work with you on identity, relationships, purpose and the development of genuine coping strategies that provide real alternatives to substance use.

Meet our Team

Browse our therapy team

Our team is hand-selected not just for their clinical excellence, but for their empathetic, editorial approach to modern mental health.

Tory Stirling

Integrative Adult Counsellor

Tory is a BACP registered integrative counsellor with specialist experience in complex trauma, bereavement and neurodiversity, including over ten years working in the field of autism. Flexible, relational and neuroaffirming in approach, she supports adults across a wide range of emotional and psychological difficulties.

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Raymond McLean

Adult Counsellor

Raymond is a dually registered integrative counsellor with extensive experience across community and private mental health settings. Person-centred, warm and adaptable, he supports adults through anxiety, bereavement, trauma, low mood and workplace stress from his Antrim practice.

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Steven Montgomery

Adult Integrative Counsellor

Steven is a NCPS registered integrative counsellor offering a safe, non-judgmental space for adults navigating anxiety, low mood, grief, identity and relationship difficulties. Warm, accessible and person-centred at his core, he works collaboratively to build self-understanding and resilience.

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Orla McFadden

Adult Integrative Counsellor

Orla is a BACP registered integrative counsellor offering online and telephone sessions. Drawing on person-centred, CBT and psychodynamic approaches, she creates a safe, collaborative space for adults working through depression, anxiety, bereavement, low self-esteem and relationship difficulties.

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Sarah Etheridge

Adult Counsellor

Sarah is a BACP registered counsellor with specialist training in IFS, trauma and attachment. Working through a person-centred and psychodynamic lens, she offers a warm, trusting therapeutic relationship to support adults with anxiety, grief, trauma, PTSD and a wide range of personal difficulties.

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Orla Cogill

Adult Psychotherapist

Orla Cogill is a qualified Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist supporting adults with anxiety, depression, trauma, low mood and stress. Orla integrates CBT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) and EMDR, tailoring sessions to individual sensory and processing needs. She offers a warm, evidence-based approach, helping clients build self-understanding, self-compassion and practical coping skills.

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Robyn Lough

Integrative Adult Counsellor

Robyn is a BACP registered integrative counsellor based in Banbridge. Warm, collaborative and solution-aware in her approach, she supports adults through anxiety, bereavement, trauma, neurodivergence and a wide range of life challenges, offering in-person, online and telephone sessions.

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Michelle Duffy

Adult Counsellor

Michelle Duffy is an MBACP Accredited Counsellor and Psychotherapist with over 11 years' clinical experience. Michelle works with adults, young people and children experiencing trauma, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and relationship difficulties. She offers an integrative, creative approach, including EMDR, helping clients heal and move forward with confidence.

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