In my previous post, I outlined the ten questions anyone should ask a coach before committing their time, money, and health to a programme. I believe in total transparency, so here is exactly how I answer those same questions.
1. Do you screen for physical dependence before recommending that someone stop drinking?
Yes. We have comprehensive tools that help people identify what type of relationship they currently have with alcohol and self-audit before purchasing any of our plans. If the result suggests physical dependence, we advise extreme caution before making any changes and recommend consulting a medical professional or specialist charity before proceeding.
2. Do you explain the medical risks of stopping alcohol suddenly for heavy drinkers?
Yes, and this conversation happens before anything else. Anyone considering a significant change to their drinking needs to understand the difference between habit and physical dependence before acting. If there is any indication of heavy or prolonged drinking, we signpost to medical guidance as the first step.
3. Are you qualified to advise on alcohol withdrawal, or do you refer clients to medical professionals?
I am a qualified coach, not a clinician. If anything in the self-audit indicates possible physical dependence, the advice is to seek medical guidance before proceeding. Coaching and medical advice are not the same thing, and any coach who blurs that line is operating outside their competence.
4. Do you offer both moderation and abstinence as potential outcomes?
I recognise both as valid outcomes. For some people, abstinence is the right choice for medical necessity or personal reasons, and I respect that. My own area of research and specialisation, after more than 30 years in the wine trade, is moderation strategies.
The numbers tell an important story. Around 75% of people drinking above low-risk guidelines fall into the hazardous category under the AUDIT framework rather than meeting criteria for dependence.¹ They are functioning, holding it together, but know their drinking has drifted further than they intended. This is the group I define as Inbetweener Drinkers™, those who are not dependent but have lost their sense of agency over alcohol. [link to autopilot/dependence post to be added]
For that group, research shows that moderation and abstinence achieve comparable outcomes.² The choice ultimately belongs to the individual.
5. What evidence informs your recommended approach?
The BAC System™ (Balance and Control) is a methodology built from three decades in the wine trade combined with behavioural science and neuroscience research. Success is not measured in binary terms. It is measured in patterns shifted, triggers understood, and choices made consciously. The starting point is understanding why the pattern developed, not simply interrupting it temporarily.
6. How do you decide which approach is appropriate for an individual client?
The BAC System™ begins with assessment. Clients review their relationship with alcohol and track current habits before strategies are selected. The aim is to understand the underlying drivers of their drinking before deciding what changes are appropriate.
7. What happens if someone struggles or slips during the process?
Setbacks are a normal part of behaviour change. Within the BAC System™, they are treated as data, not failure. If something does not go to plan, we examine what happened, why it happened, and what it reveals about the pattern before adjusting the strategy.
8. What experience or background informs your advice on alcohol use?
Three decades working in the wine trade provides a detailed understanding of alcohol culture, consumption patterns, and the social dynamics around drinking. That experience is combined with coaching qualifications, behavioural science research, and direct work with clients whose drinking has gradually drifted beyond where they want it to be.
9. Is your approach personalised or the same programme for everyone?
It is personalised. Every client begins with an assessment of their relationship with alcohol and tracks their current habits before strategies are selected. The result is a plan shaped around the individual rather than a fixed template applied to everyone.
10. What happens after the initial programme or challenge ends?
Success is not defined by a streak or a finish line. The goal is a shift in the relationship with alcohol that holds without constant effort. The BAC System™ focuses on understanding the autopilot patterns behind drinking and replacing them with conscious choice.
Many clients later choose periods of abstinence on their own terms once they have developed the skills and confidence to manage alcohol differently.
Resources and Professional Support
If you are concerned that your relationship with alcohol involves physical dependence, do not stop drinking abruptly. Seek professional guidance from your GP or from specialist services such as:
WithYou Charity: free, confidential support and webchat with trained recovery workers https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk
NHS Alcohol Support: guidance on local services and understanding withdrawal risks https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/alcohol-support
Drinkaware: independent advice and the full AUDIT screening framework https://www.drinkaware.co.uk
Research References
¹ NHS Digital: Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2023/24; AUDIT framework https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/adult-psychiatric-morbidity-survey
² Henssler et al. (2021). Controlled drinking, abstinence, or reduced drinking? A multivariate meta-analysis of treatment outcomes https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33576180