Alcohol, Stress Management & Living Purposefully
Counselling and Coaching
with Isabella Ferguson
I am a registered counsellor & coach specialising in alcohol, stress management and living intuitively, supporting clients via private zoom sessions, group challenges and online self-guided programs.
About me
After 20 years of litigation law in large law firms I stepped back into home life desperate to find a more balanced existence. I did to some extent, but I also found myself drinking a lot more alcohol, socially at first but then home alone. In my mid-40‘s I quit drinking for 5 years and retrained as a Counsellor. I am now passionate about helping men and women drink less alcohol (or none at all), de-stress and live purposefully. I’m based in Sydney and work with people across Australia and New Zealand.
Running, jumping into the ocean, sitting on the beach are a few of my favourite things to do. Of course my husband, teenage sons and adult step-daughters feature high on my favourite list too (most of the time)!
I hope you enjoy the resources on my site. If you would like to work privately with me, I encourage you to reach out for a no obligation free 30 minute chat. If you would like to get to know me some more first, then perhaps start with a few of my free resources below and listen to my alcohol story (Episode 3 of the Not Drinking Today Podcast). I know what it feels like when alcohol and stress has just become too much. One of the most rewarding things I have done in my life was to take charge and re-examine alcohol’s role in my life. It was challenging at times but worth it. It is now my pleasure to guide others through this process too.
Free Resources
To get you started
You may have a few questions around your drinking behaviours, like ‘am I drinking too much?‘, ‘do I have a “problem”? and “how do I quit drinking?” or “how do I take a break from alcohol?“. These questions are answered in these free resources here. My 5-Day video series ‘Do I have a Drinking Problem?” is a great place to start if you are trying to work out if any red flags are appearing in your life and what you need to do about it. My Ebook “How Do I Stop Drinking SO Much?” sets out 14 steps for you to follow in order to take a break AND do it in a way that is as pain free as possible whilst setting you up for long term success. After all, you want you to drink less and not feel deprived in the process. You want your new habits to stick and to start feeling and looking better well into the future.
Free 7-Day Healthy Holiday Helper Emails
Receive daily motivation with journalling prompts, podcast recommendations and more over 7-days to energise you to drink less on your next trip!
Work With Me
Options to Suit You
Private sessions, The Alcohol Revolution Online Program, Small Group Challenges
I meet you where you are at. I learn about your drinking patterns, your alcohol story and whether you want to quit drinking or try moderating. I also workshop specific social events with you. I focus on your strengths, goals and needs, introduce psycho-education about alcohol’s chemical impacts, understand why you use it to cope, apply cognitive behavioural therapy to reframe limiting beliefs, nervous system grounding techniques and emotional regulation work, all of which combine to set you up with skills to navigate life without alcohol holding you back. A point of difference I bring to the table is that all of my clients gain access to my online programs, The Alcohol Revolution and The Alcohol Freedom Library, providing you with 24/7 access to support and resources around alcohol. Also, I a registered counsellor regulated by the ACA, bound by their professional rules.
Private Sessions
Hourly, 6 Week or 12 Week Plans
Alcohol Programs
2 or 6 Weeks
Alcohol Group Coaching
Reserve your spot for November – Doors open
Support Squad
Private Group (for Alcohol Revolution and Challenge participants)
New!
2-Week Alcohol Revolution Kick-Start Online Program
This program draws on my own revolution from boozer to booze-free. It’s about embracing a healthier and more vibrant life. It’s about stepping into this alcohol soaked world and saying “no thanks, I don’t have time for that glass of wine. I have too much to do!” AND feeling really bloody comfortable in doing so!
My Podcasts
Not Drinking Today Podcast & De-Stress for Success
I have two podcasts! I co-host the successful 5-Start rated Not Drinking Today Podcast. If you want to feel less alone, receive practical tips about drinking less and get to know me a bit more, then I recommend you take a listen. I host the up and coming De-Stress Podcast solo. This episode interviews authors, experts and coaches who specialise in all aspects of wellness, like stress, sugar, mindfulness, mind-set motivation, peak performance and breath work in the pursuit of CALM! Take a listen on your favourite podcast platform.
Testimonials
The reason why I love doing what I do
I had already given up alcohol successfully when I came to Isabella for help to work out how to be happier. I was stuck, aimless and wanted more but didn’t know where to start. My life now feels brighter! I’ve found greater purpose overall, but I’m so excited to embark on the new course I am studying. I am grateful for what I have, understand my limiting thoughts, know what motivates me… I actually know what I want and how to get there. I am very thankful I found Isabella.
When it comes to conversations around alcohol, even as society is changing, and learning, there is still so much shame and stigma attached to this drug. From my first session with Isabella I felt that I was in a safe space, and was welcomed to start making some big changes in my life. I learnt that shame really grows in the dark, and Isabella helped me shine a light on this so that I could learn to forgive myself, be kind to myself and in turn, remove the need for alcohol as a coping mechanism from my life, I reached my 35th birthday meeting my goals and have been able to welcome in the new year confident in staying sober. I feel that the fusion between email check in, zoom meetings, resources provided and also further recommendations of external resources from Isabella provided a full-circle service that I was very satisfied with. Thank you Isabella.
Call Isabella now if you have any concerns about your drinking. It was scary at the start but she helped me to view alcohol differently. I never thought that I could have got to this place. Thank you Isabella for all of your support.
I’ll be forever grateful to Isabella for giving me hope and motivation to stop drinking. Wish I had found her years ago!
Isabella guided me through a difficult patch with alcohol with care and skill. I don’t even feel like it anymore I am so much better for it. I feel like the old me is back. On top of that, Isabella has a great sense of humour which made it all so much easier!
I came to Isabella feeling pretty low and desperate to stop binge drinking. Isabella made me feel welcomed and gave me a plan to change the way I drank. I probably wasn’t the easiest of clients but Isabella kept encouraging me and I have found that I am a much happier and calmer person on the other side.
To be honest I was not expecting that my drinking would change as much as it has when I first started working with Isabella. I probably didn’t want to let the drinking go. I was stressed, in the middle of a separation and was only doing this for the kids. But over the weeks it all just got easier. Isabella’s Alcohol Course in the background to our sessions was great. Isabella cares about what she does and her experience of both being a lawyer and getting through her own alcohol experience helped me immensely. I’d recommend Isabella to anyone who finds themselves drinking too much and needing to stop.
Thank you so much for all of your support – although we met after I started my sobriety journey I found it really helpful to talk to someone who was down to earth and knew what I was going through through personal experience. Your course is a great asset to have as it is in lovely bite sized chunks of information that can be digested at your own pace. Thanks again for helping me reframe my beliefs and being a great listener!
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