Allan Bunyan • CPCA Member #47516 • Cairns QLD
Addiction Counselling in Cairns & Online
Counselling for alcohol, drug use and gambling, including support with medication misuse, relapse, shame and patterns that have become difficult to manage. Talk privately and without judgement, understand what may be keeping the pattern going, and work towards practical, safer next steps.
Call or text: 0423 763 712ADDICTION COUNSELLING IN CAIRNS
Addiction is often about more than the substance
Addiction counselling is not about shame, blame, or being told to “just stop”. It is about understanding what is happening, what keeps the pattern going, and what support might help you take the next step safely.
Addictive patterns rarely have one single cause. They may be influenced by emotional distress, physical pain, mental health, habit and routine, social environments, family history, easy access, or a combination of these factors.
For some people, physical dependence is also part of the picture. This may include strong cravings, needing more to get the same effect, withdrawal symptoms, feeling physically unwell without the substance, or using simply to feel normal.
Addiction can affect sleep, relationships, work, money, health, mood, confidence, family life, and the way a person sees themselves. For many people, the hardest part is not knowing where to start.
Counselling can support emotional and behavioural change, including understanding triggers, managing urges, changing routines, and planning safer next steps. Physical dependence, withdrawal, medication concerns, or serious health symptoms may also need support from a GP, specialist alcohol and drug service, or another health professional.
Addiction counselling with Allan Bunyan offers practical, private support in Cairns and online across Australia. You can talk openly, at your pace, without needing to have everything worked out first.
A PRACTICAL FIRST STEP
You do not need to wait until things get worse
You can reach out even if you are unsure whether your alcohol use, drug use, gambling, or medication misuse would be considered an addiction. The first conversation can simply be about what has been happening and what support may help.
Helpful information and support
Additional addiction resources
Addiction counselling support
You do not have to hit rock bottom before you ask for help.
You might want to stop completely, reduce the harm, understand why the pattern keeps returning, or simply speak honestly without being judged. Counselling gives you a private place to work out what is happening and decide what a realistic next step looks like for you.
What addiction can look like
It does not always look the way people think.
Addiction is not always obvious from the outside. A person may still be working, caring for others and managing daily responsibilities while privately feeling less in control. It can involve emotional reliance, learned habits, cravings, tolerance or physical dependence.
Problem drinking
Problem drinking does not always mean drinking every day. It can mean regularly drinking more than intended, relying on alcohol to relax or sleep, or finding that alcohol is becoming harder to manage.
- Drinking alone, hiding use or drinking soon after waking.
- Needing more alcohol to get the same effect.
- Feeling shaky, sweaty, nauseous, anxious or unwell when cutting back.
- Alcohol affecting sleep, health, work, safety or relationships.
Drug use becoming harder to control
Drug use may involve cannabis, stimulants, opioids, sedatives, party drugs or more than one substance. The pattern and risks can differ, but support may be useful when use starts to feel necessary or less within your control.
- Thinking frequently about the next opportunity to use.
- Using to cope, socialise, stay awake, sleep or feel normal.
- Needing more to get the same effect or experiencing withdrawal.
- Continuing despite health, relationship, financial or legal consequences.
Gambling taking over more of your life
Gambling problems are often kept private. Someone may appear to be managing while chasing losses, hiding transactions or spending more time thinking about gambling than they want.
- Constantly checking odds, bets, results or gambling apps.
- Gambling to escape stress, loneliness or difficult feelings.
- Becoming irritable, restless or preoccupied when unable to gamble.
- Borrowing money, losing sleep or neglecting responsibilities.
Medication use and dependence
Medication-related concerns do not always involve intentional misuse. Physical dependence can sometimes develop while a person is taking prescribed medication as directed. Support should remain respectful and should not assume wrongdoing.
- Taking medication differently from the prescription or taking doses early.
- Feeling emotionally unable to cope without the medication.
- Feeling anxious about reducing, stopping or running out.
- Experiencing withdrawal symptoms between doses or when reducing.
Nicotine becoming difficult to manage
Smoking or vaping can become closely tied to stress relief, routine, concentration, social situations or emotional regulation. Dependence may be present even when someone does not see the behaviour as an addiction.
- Using nicotine soon after waking or throughout the day.
- Feeling irritable, restless or unable to concentrate without it.
- Repeatedly trying to reduce or stop without lasting change.
- Continuing despite cost, health concerns or pressure from others.
Repeatedly trying to cut back
A common sign is repeatedly deciding to stop or reduce the behaviour, then finding yourself back in the same pattern despite genuinely wanting things to change.
- Setting limits that become difficult to keep.
- Feeling ashamed after drinking, using, gambling, smoking or vaping again.
- Moving between determination, avoidance and giving up.
- Spending increasing time using, recovering or planning the next opportunity.
Needing it to feel normal
Physical dependence can develop when the body adapts to alcohol, drugs or some medications. This is not a moral failure, but it can mean that medical advice is needed before reducing or stopping.
- Feeling shaky, sweaty, nauseous, agitated or physically unwell without it.
- Using mainly to prevent withdrawal or feel steady.
- Needing larger or more frequent amounts than before.
- Experiencing symptoms between drinks, doses or periods of use.
Using to switch off
Alcohol, drugs, gambling, medication, smoking or vaping may offer temporary relief from grief, trauma, pain, disability, loneliness, anxiety or emotional overload while creating further problems over time.
- Using to avoid thoughts, memories or difficult emotions.
- Feeling unable to relax, sleep or socialise without it.
- Using automatically in response to particular people, places or routines.
- Knowing it is causing harm but fearing life without it.
Higher-risk signs need more immediate support
Some situations carry a greater risk of injury, overdose, severe withdrawal or harm to other people. These can include:
- Driving after drinking, using drugs or taking impairing medication.
- Mixing alcohol, drugs or medications.
- Blackouts, collapse, overdose or difficulty staying conscious.
- Using alone where nobody could respond in an emergency.
- Aggression, unsafe behaviour or serious loss of control.
- Leaving children or vulnerable people without safe care.
Suddenly stopping alcohol, benzodiazepines or some other medications can be dangerous. Speak with a GP, pharmacist or alcohol and other drug service before making major changes. Call 000 if there is an immediate danger, suspected overdose, seizure, collapse or difficulty breathing.
You do not need to identify with every sign
You also do not need to call yourself an “addict” before speaking with someone. If alcohol, drugs, gambling, medication, smoking or vaping is becoming harder to manage or taking up more of your life than you want, that is enough reason to begin a conversation.
These examples are not a diagnosis. They are signs that it may be useful to speak with a counsellor, GP or specialist addiction service. Counselling can support emotional and behavioural change, while medical assessment may also be important when withdrawal, physical dependence, medication safety or overdose risk is involved.
Book a Free 15-Minute Meet & GreetI know this isn’t helping me, but I don’t know how to stop.
If that feels familiar, counselling can help slow the pattern down and make sense of what is happening.
Addiction can affect far more than the behaviour itself
Alcohol, drug use, gambling, smoking, vaping and medication-related concerns can become connected to emotions, access, routines, relationships, stress and the way a person gets through difficult moments. Counselling can help identify these patterns, strengthen what already helps and develop practical ways to respond differently.
Triggers, access and urges
Urges can be linked to particular people, places, emotions, routines, times of day or stressful events. Easy access can also keep a pattern going, even when someone genuinely wants to make a change.
This might include alcohol kept at home, unrestricted access to medication, gambling apps and notifications, being paid on a particular day, or spending time with people who regularly use.
In counselling, we can identify triggers and access points earlier, understand what the urge is asking for and plan realistic ways to reduce risk or create more time before acting on it.
A lapse, relapse or return to an unwanted pattern
Returning to alcohol, drugs, gambling, smoking, vaping or unhelpful medication use after trying to stop or reduce can bring shame and hopelessness. It does not mean previous effort was wasted or that change is impossible.
Sessions can explore what happened beforehand, what support was missing and what could be adjusted rather than treating the setback as a personal failure.
Shame, secrecy and isolation
People may hide spending, minimise how much they are drinking or using, conceal smoking or vaping, avoid conversations or withdraw from others because they fear judgement, disappointment or conflict.
Counselling provides a private place to speak honestly and work through shame without being lectured, blamed or forced into a goal you have not chosen.
Impact on daily life
Addictive patterns can affect sleep, finances, work, motivation, appointments, parenting, relationships, health and the ability to follow through with everyday responsibilities.
Counselling can focus on restoring routines, managing high-risk situations, improving communication and reducing the harm affecting daily life.
Emotional, mental health and physical pain
Alcohol, drugs, gambling, nicotine or medication may provide temporary relief from grief, trauma, loneliness, disability, chronic pain, depression, anxiety or emotional overload. Addiction can also occur alongside conditions such as PTSD, ADHD, bipolar disorder, psychosis or suicidal thoughts.
In counselling, we can explore how these concerns interact. Where needed, additional support from a GP, psychiatrist, psychologist, pain specialist, crisis service or addiction service may also be recommended.
Relationships, trust and personal safety
Secrecy, broken promises, financial stress, conflict and emotional distance can place significant pressure on partners, family members, friends and support networks.
Counselling may help with boundaries, communication and rebuilding trust. However, where there is coercion, financial abuse, threats or violence, safety and specialist support come before joint conversations or reconciliation.
Safety and risk reduction
Some situations need more immediate attention than the behaviour pattern itself. Sessions may include checking for risks such as overdose, unsafe withdrawal, mixing substances, driving while impaired, self-harm, violence or child-safety concerns.
Where risk is identified, the focus may be on a practical safety plan, reducing immediate harm and connecting with appropriate medical, crisis or specialist services. Call 000 when there is an immediate danger or medical emergency.
Protective factors and staying supported
Change is not only about avoiding triggers. Supportive relationships, safer routines, sleep, physical wellbeing, meaningful activities, reduced access and early help-seeking can all make an unwanted pattern less likely to take over again.
Counselling can help you build a written coping or relapse-prevention plan, identify who to contact early and strengthen the routines and supports that make change more sustainable.
Understanding the addiction cycle
Change is rarely one straight line.
Addictive patterns can develop through vulnerability, triggers, urges, behaviour, consequences, reflection and attempts at change. The cycle is also influenced by relationships, availability, advertising, finances, housing, disability-related barriers, treatment access and social isolation—not only by what is happening inside the person.
Pattern
The cycle may begin before a clear trigger.
Poor sleep, pain, hunger, isolation, conflict building over several days, being paid, medication changes, missed appointments or supports, and increased anxiety or depression can make someone more vulnerable before a strong urge appears.
Triggers can be internal, social or environmental.
A trigger might involve stress, shame, grief, boredom, difficult memories, particular people or places. It may also involve easy access to alcohol, medication, money, gambling accounts, betting notifications, peer groups or substances already being available.
An urge can be interrupted.
The urge may be seeking relief, escape, sleep, stimulation, connection or a sense of control. An interruption does not have to solve everything; it only needs to create enough space for another choice.
- Leave the triggering environment.
- Wait ten minutes before acting.
- Call or message a trusted person.
- Use grounding or slow breathing.
- Move money or medication out of immediate reach.
- Follow a written coping or safety plan.
Safety matters during and after the behaviour.
Alcohol, drugs, gambling and medication-related concerns can carry very different immediate risks. A safety plan may include:
- Not driving while impaired.
- Avoiding mixing substances or medications.
- Not being alone where overdose risk is present.
- Reducing access to money or gambling accounts.
- Contacting a trusted person or health service.
- Seeking urgent help after overdose or severe symptoms.
The after-stage can create the next cycle.
The aftermath may include guilt, anxiety, secrecy, blackouts or memory gaps, physical illness, debt, missed medication, lost work or appointments, relationship breakdown or thoughts of self-harm. A person may then feel driven to use or gamble again to escape the consequences.
Reflection can become a turning point.
Counselling can help review what happened beforehand, which early warning signs appeared, what support was missing and what needs to change next time—without treating the event as a moral failure.
Lapses and relapses are common for many people, but they can still carry serious risks. They are an opportunity to review the plan, not a reason to give up.Change can begin at several points.
You might improve sleep, respond earlier to pain or distress, reduce access, change a routine, delay an urge, strengthen support, plan for high-risk situations or seek help quickly after a lapse. Small changes at any point can interrupt the cycle.
Relapse prevention is not only about willpower. It involves recognising vulnerability and early warning signs, understanding triggers, planning practical interruptions, reducing immediate risks and knowing what to do after a lapse.
Some substances and medications should not be stopped suddenly without medical advice. Counselling can support motivation, coping and behavioural change, but it does not replace medical withdrawal care. When anxiety, grief, trauma, disability adjustment or relationship stress is part of the cycle, related counselling support may also be helpful, including anxiety counselling in Cairns .
My approach
Practical support, without lectures or rigid programs
Addiction counselling should make sense in real life. Some people want to stop completely. Some want to reduce harm. Others are still trying to understand why the same pattern keeps returning.
I draw from several counselling approaches and adapt the work to your goals, circumstances, readiness, communication needs and safety.
Motivational interviewing
This approach is useful when part of you wants change while another part still relies on drinking, drug use, gambling, smoking, vaping or medication to cope. Ambivalence is treated as something to understand—not something to argue with.
In a session: we might talk honestly about what the behaviour gives you, what it costs you and what change you would choose if nobody were pressuring you.
CBT-informed strategies
CBT-informed work can help map the relationship between thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, urges, habits, routines, environmental access, social pressure, relationship dynamics, behaviour and consequences. It does not assume that thoughts alone cause addiction.
In a session: we may map a recent episode, identify what was happening internally and around you, and plan another response for a similar situation.
Harm reduction
Harm reduction does not demand immediate abstinence. It focuses on reducing danger and limiting the impact on health, relationships, finances and daily life while respecting the client’s chosen goals.
In a session: we might identify the highest-risk parts of the pattern, reduce access, plan safer choices, organise support or decide what to do if things begin escalating. Where significant physical dependence or dangerous withdrawal may be present, medical advice is needed rather than relying on gradual reduction through counselling alone.
Solution-focused counselling
This approach looks for times when the problem has been less powerful and identifies practical changes, strengths and supports that can be repeated.
In a session: we may explore one time you managed an urge differently, work out what helped and turn it into a strategy for the coming week.
Trauma-informed support
Addiction can be connected to grief, trauma, pain, disability, loneliness, shame or experiences of feeling unsafe. You are not required to disclose difficult experiences before you are ready, and you do not have to recount trauma in detail for counselling to be useful.
In a session: we can focus first on current safety, grounding, emotional regulation and practical coping. Trauma work will not be pushed when you are unstable, overwhelmed or not ready.
Relapse prevention
Relapse prevention involves understanding vulnerability, warning signs, high-risk situations, access, triggers and the supports needed before an urge becomes harder to manage.
In a session: we may develop a clear written plan for what to notice early, who to contact, how to reduce access and what to do after a lapse so one difficult moment does not become a full return to the unwanted pattern.
Safety planning and risk reduction
Counselling can include checking for immediate risks such as overdose, unsafe withdrawal, mixing substances, driving while impaired, self-harm or suicide risk, violence, and situations where children or vulnerable people may be affected.
In a session: we may identify emergency contacts, plan for high-risk situations, decide when medical help is needed, reduce access to immediate means of harm and create clear steps for what to do if safety deteriorates.
Accessible and collaborative support
Counselling can be adapted for disability, neurodivergence, communication preferences, literacy, sensory needs, cultural background and practical access. Sessions may be in person, by video or by phone, depending on what is appropriate and available.
In a session: we can use plain language, written prompts, shorter steps, repetition, visual planning or a slower pace. With your consent, counselling may also work alongside a GP, psychiatrist, rehabilitation service, support coordinator or alcohol and other drug provider.
How progress is reviewed
Progress is reviewed collaboratively rather than judged against one fixed definition of success. We can look at whether counselling is helping with:
- The frequency, intensity or duration of the behaviour.
- Harm, risk and the need for crisis responses.
- The ability to notice and manage urges earlier.
- Honesty, communication and relationship boundaries.
- Sleep, appointments, work, parenting and daily functioning.
- Progress toward the goals you have chosen.
If the approach is not helping, we can adjust the plan or discuss whether another service may be a better fit.
What counselling does—and does not—provide
Counselling can support motivation, emotional coping, behavioural change, safety planning, relapse prevention and communication. It does not provide:
- Medical detoxification or withdrawal management.
- Medication prescribing, adjustment or medical advice.
- Psychiatric assessment or diagnosis.
- Inpatient rehabilitation or residential treatment.
- A 24-hour emergency or crisis-response service.
Additional medical or specialist support may be recommended when needs fall outside counselling scope. With your consent, this can include referral discussions, progress updates, shared safety or relapse planning, and communication around discharge or service transitions.
Call 000 for an overdose, severe withdrawal symptoms, immediate danger or a life-threatening emergency. Counselling appointments are not a substitute for urgent medical or crisis care.
The approach can change as your needs change
Sessions may combine several methods. The goal is not to fit you into one therapy model, but to understand the pattern, reduce risk and build practical changes that are relevant to your life. My approach is informed by formal counselling training, ongoing professional development and supervision, while remaining within my professional scope.
No referral needed. Cairns and online appointments available.
Fees and what to expect
Clear information before you book
You should not have to contact a counsellor before you can understand the price, cancellation arrangements or what the first appointment involves. Here is what you can expect when you contact Strong Foundation Support Counselling.
What happens when you make contact?
You do not need to explain your entire history in the first message. A few simple details are enough to begin.
You make contact
You can book online, call, text or send an enquiry. You may briefly mention whether the concern involves alcohol, drugs, gambling, medication, smoking, vaping, relapse or another unwanted pattern.
We arrange a first conversation
The free 15-minute meet and greet is a brief introduction. You can ask practical questions, discuss the type of support you are seeking and decide whether counselling with Allan feels like the right fit. Therapeutic work begins in a booked counselling appointment.
Your first counselling session
We talk about what has been happening, how it is affecting your life, what you have already tried and what you would like to be different. Where relevant, Allan may also ask about current use or gambling, medication, withdrawal or overdose risk, immediate safety, self-harm or suicide risk, and other professionals involved.
We agree on practical next steps
Your goal might involve stopping, cutting back, reducing harm, understanding triggers, rebuilding trust, managing a lapse or relapse, or putting additional support around a difficult period. Medical or specialist support may be recommended when needs fall outside counselling scope.
We review frequency and progress together
Counselling may be weekly, fortnightly or more flexible. The frequency can change depending on your goals, safety, progress, availability and funding. You are not required to commit to ongoing sessions at the first appointment.
Privacy and confidentiality
Counselling sessions are generally confidential. Information is not automatically shared with family members, support coordinators, plan managers or other providers simply because they are involved in your support.
- Information may be shared with another person or service when you have given consent.
- Confidentiality may be limited where there is a serious risk of harm, a child-safety or safeguarding concern, a mandatory reporting obligation or another legal requirement.
- For NDIS participants, relevant billing information may be supplied to the nominated plan manager so invoices can be processed.
Where possible and appropriate, Allan will discuss any necessary information-sharing with you.
Practical details before your appointment
These arrangements are explained before counselling begins so that you know what to expect.
Cancellations and rescheduling
Please contact Allan by phone, text or email as early as possible if you need to cancel or move an appointment.
- Private clients are asked to provide at least 24 hours’ notice.
- NDIS participants are asked to provide at least 24-hours' notice.
- A late cancellation or no-show may be charged at the agreed session rate.
- NDIS cancellation claims are handled under current NDIS pricing rules, the service agreement and the participant’s funding arrangement.
- Genuine emergencies, serious illness, bereavement and other exceptional circumstances may be considered individually.
After a no-show, Allan may try to contact you to check your wellbeing before issuing any applicable invoice or claim.
NDIS billing and service arrangements
The services, rates, cancellation terms and agreed non-face-to-face work are documented before ongoing NDIS counselling begins.
- Direct counselling and telehealth are charged at the agreed hourly rate.
- Relevant non-face-to-face work may include reviewing records, preparation, provider communication and documentation.
- Client-related work is billed in 15-minute increments with a minimum charge of 15 minutes.
- NDIA-requested reports use the relevant report item when applicable.
- Any pricing change is discussed and agreed before being applied.
Travel for NDIS appointments
Travel charges only apply when an in-person appointment requires Allan to travel to an agreed location and the charges have been discussed beforehand.
- Provider travel time for counselling is charged under the applicable NDIS travel item.
- The current national travel-time price is up to $78.08
- Reasonable non-labour travel costs may also be agreed where permitted.
- Travel and counselling time are shown separately on invoices.
Telehealth appointments
Video and phone appointments are available across Australia. Phone sessions can be used when video is uncomfortable, inaccessible or unnecessary.
- Choose a private place where you can speak safely where possible.
- Allan may confirm your current location and an emergency contact.
- A session may be paused or ended if you are driving.
- Telehealth is not suitable during an overdose, severe withdrawal or medical emergency.
- A separate telehealth consent may be required before remote sessions begin.
Attending while affected by alcohol, drugs or medication
Please do not drive to or from an appointment if alcohol, drugs or medication have affected your ability to drive safely. Allan will consider immediate safety and whether meaningful counselling can proceed.
- A session may need to be postponed if you cannot participate safely or meaningfully.
- Allan may assist you to contact a trusted support person, health service or emergency service.
- Alternative transport or a safe place to remain may need to be arranged.
- An overdose, severe withdrawal or medical emergency requires 000.
Accessibility and what to bring
You do not need extensive paperwork or a completed treatment plan before your first session. Reasonable adjustments can be discussed before booking.
- Mobility access, communication preferences and sensory needs.
- Extra processing time, plain language or phone instead of video.
- A support person attending where appropriate and agreed.
- An optional medication list, discharge information or referral documents.
- NDIS management details and provider contacts where relevant.
Counselling for young people aged 14–17
Parent or guardian consent arrangements are discussed before booking. The level of parent involvement depends on the young person’s age, circumstances, capacity to consent and safety needs.
- The young person can usually have private counselling conversations.
- Confidentiality and its limits are explained clearly before counselling begins.
- Parents or guardians do not automatically receive the content of sessions.
- Safety information may need to be shared where there is a serious risk of harm or another legal or safeguarding requirement.
- Any ongoing parent or support-person involvement is agreed according to consent, circumstances and safety.
Urgent or emergency situations
The free meet and greet and booked counselling appointments are not a 24-hour crisis or emergency service.
- Call 000 for an overdose, collapse, seizure, breathing difficulty or immediate danger.
- Do not wait for a counselling appointment when urgent medical support is needed.
- Some substances and medications should not be stopped suddenly without medical advice.
Concerned about someone you care about?
Family members can need support too
Watching someone struggle with alcohol, drugs, gambling or medication use can leave a partner, relative or friend feeling frightened, angry, exhausted or unsure whether helping is making things better or worse.
You can seek individual counselling for yourself even if the other person does not want help, does not believe there is a problem or is not ready to attend counselling.
Who counselling is for
Allan primarily provides individual counselling. The concerned family member can receive their own confidential support, and the person experiencing addiction may contact Allan separately for individual counselling if they choose.
Joint or family sessions are not the standard service and would only be considered where appropriate, safe and agreed by everyone involved.
Confidentiality and sharing concerns
Family members may share relevant concerns, but Allan cannot confirm whether another person is a client or provide information about their counselling without that person’s permission, except where disclosure is required by law or necessary to manage serious risk.
When you seek counselling for yourself, your sessions are treated as your own confidential service.
Boundaries, money and sustainable support
- Offer emotional support without providing unrestricted money.
- Protect rent, food, utilities and other essential household funds.
- Avoid repeatedly paying debts or covering up serious consequences.
- Set limits around behaviour, contact, transport or access to the home.
- Consider financial counselling where debt or hidden spending is escalating.
Difficult decisions and reduced contact
Counselling can help you prepare for difficult conversations, manage guilt after setting boundaries and decide what level of involvement is safe and sustainable.
Sometimes support involves separation, reducing contact, protecting children, grieving the relationship or accepting that rebuilding trust is not currently possible.
When joint conversations are not safe
Relationship repair should not be prioritised where there is domestic or family violence, coercive control, threats, intimidation, financial abuse, stalking or serious aggression.
In these situations, safety and appropriate domestic violence, legal, police or specialist support should come first.
Urgent safety concerns
- Suspected overdose, collapse, seizure or difficulty breathing.
- Violence, threats of suicide or immediate danger.
- Driving while impaired, especially with children or vulnerable passengers.
- Children or vulnerable people being left without safe care.
Call 000 when there is immediate danger or a medical emergency. Do not wait for a counselling appointment or reply to a message.
Start with a short conversation
You can contact Allan for yourself or to discuss counselling support as a concerned family member. There is no pressure to commit to ongoing appointments during the introductory conversation.
About Allan
Professional counselling shaped by real lived experience
I am a Cairns-based counsellor offering practical, one-to-one counselling in person and online across Australia.
My understanding of addictive patterns is not only professional. I have personal lived experience of harmful and compulsive patterns involving smoking, alcohol and food-related coping.
I also live with disability and understand what it feels like to be judged, underestimated or spoken about before being properly heard.
“I know how easy it is to feel ashamed when a behaviour becomes harder to control. Counselling should be a place where you can speak honestly, understand the pattern and work towards change without being made to feel like a failure.”
Allan BunyanLived experience shapes how I listen
I know what it is like to recognise that something needs to change while still feeling pulled back towards the same habit. I understand the cycle of making promises to yourself, trying again, returning to familiar behaviour and becoming frustrated when willpower alone does not seem to be enough.
My own experiences have helped me understand that addictive and compulsive patterns are rarely only about the substance or behaviour. They can become connected to stress, comfort, emotions, routine, identity, avoidance and the need to get through difficult moments.
Change has not always been a straight line for me either. A lapse or setback does not automatically mean that someone is weak, unwilling or incapable of changing.
Sessions remain focused on you. I do not routinely tell my own story, and personal disclosure is only used carefully when it may genuinely support your counselling. You will never be expected to make the same choices I made.
Your experience will still be your own
Having lived experience does not mean I will assume your story is the same as mine. People develop addictive patterns for different reasons, experience different consequences and need different kinds of support.
Culture, family expectations, faith, gender, sexuality, community, disability and neurodivergence can all shape how a person understands addiction and change. I will not assume that my background or perspective automatically fits yours.
Whether the concern involves drinking, smoking or vaping, drug use, gambling, medication-related concerns or relapse, you will be treated as a whole person rather than reduced to the behaviour you are trying to change.
My reference to food is part of my personal lived experience, not a claim that I provide specialist eating-disorder treatment. Where eating concerns involve significant medical, nutritional or eating-disorder risk, specialist assessment and treatment may be recommended.
What you can expect from me
My counselling style is conversational, practical and straightforward. I will listen carefully, ask honest questions and help you make sense of what is happening without lecturing you or forcing you into a goal you have not chosen.
Professional knowledge alongside lived experience
Lived experience helps me understand how complicated change can feel. Professional counselling training gives me the structure, ethics and skills to support you within my professional scope.
Sessions may draw on motivational interviewing, CBT-informed strategies, harm reduction, solution-focused counselling, trauma-informed practice and relapse prevention. These approaches are supported through ongoing professional development and regular clinical supervision.
I practise within CPCA ethical requirements and will recommend or coordinate additional support when needs fall outside counselling scope. This may include a GP, psychiatrist, psychologist, alcohol and other drug service, rehabilitation provider, financial counsellor or emergency service.
You do not need to arrive with the right words, a diagnosis or certainty about what you want. We can begin with what is happening now.
Where my counselling fits
I offer ongoing one-to-one counselling for people who want a consistent counsellor, flexible goals and space to explore the emotional, behavioural and relationship issues connected to the pattern.
This can sit alongside medical care, withdrawal support, rehabilitation, psychiatric care or a specialist alcohol and other drug service. Counselling with me does not replace medical detoxification, medication management, inpatient rehabilitation or emergency response.
With your consent, I can communicate with relevant providers, contribute to shared safety or relapse planning and support continuity during referral, discharge or service transitions.
Professional background
My lived experience influences how I listen. My qualifications, professional membership, supervision and ongoing development provide the ethical framework for the work.
Finding the right counsellor matters
The free 15-minute meet and greet gives you an opportunity to ask questions, briefly explain what has been happening and decide whether you feel comfortable working with me. There is no pressure to commit to ongoing counselling.
Send an enquiry
Contact Allan about counselling support
Use the enquiry form below to ask a question, request a free 15-minute meet and greet, or tell me briefly what kind of support you are looking for. You do not need to explain everything in the first message.
Counselling Services in Cairns
Support for concerns that often overlap
Addiction may sit alongside anxiety, grief, disability adjustment, relationship stress or emotional overwhelm. You do not need to choose the perfect service before contacting Allan, and addiction counselling is available to people of all genders.
Which pathway fits best? Addiction counselling may be the best starting point when alcohol, drugs, gambling, medication, smoking or vaping is the central concern. Another service may fit better when anxiety, grief or disability-related stress is the main issue and the addictive pattern is secondary. Overlapping concerns can still be discussed together.
Anxiety Counselling
Support when worry, panic, avoidance, physical tension or emotional overwhelm is the main concern and drinking, gambling or other habits are being used to cope.
Grief Counselling
Support after death, separation or major loss, including when alcohol, substances or other coping patterns increased after the loss.
NDIS Counselling
Counselling connected to disability-related goals, functional impact, adjustment, emotional regulation and the stress of navigating disability supports.
Men’s Counselling
Practical support for men experiencing pressure, anger, shutdown, relationship strain, identity concerns or difficulty asking for help.
Individual Counselling
One-to-one support when several concerns overlap or when you want a broader space to work through stress, relationships, life changes and emotional wellbeing.
Support for Family Members
Individual counselling for partners, relatives or friends affected by another person’s addiction, including boundaries, financial pressure, safety and difficult decisions.
Trauma-related concerns: Allan provides trauma-informed counselling and can help with current safety, coping and emotional regulation. This does not replace specialist trauma treatment, medical care or psychiatric services when those are required.
Frequently asked questions
Questions people often have before reaching out.
You do not need everything worked out before you start. These answers can help you understand what addiction counselling may look like.
Do I need to hit rock bottom before counselling?
No. You do not need to wait until things are at crisis point. Many people reach out when they notice a pattern is starting to affect their health, relationships, work, mood, sleep or sense of control.
Is addiction counselling only for alcohol or drugs?
No. Addiction counselling can support people with alcohol use, drug use, prescription medication concerns, gambling, porn use, compulsive behaviours, or patterns that feel hard to stop even when they are causing problems.
What if I am not ready to stop completely?
That is okay. Some people want to stop completely. Some want to cut back. Some want to reduce harm. Some simply want to understand why the pattern keeps happening.
Counselling starts with where you are, not where someone else thinks you should be.
Is addiction counselling private and confidential?
Yes. Counselling is confidential, with clear limits around serious risk of harm, safety concerns or legal requirements. These limits are explained before counselling begins.
Can I use my NDIS plan for addiction counselling?
It may be possible if counselling relates to disability, psychosocial support needs, emotional regulation, daily functioning, or adjustment after injury or diagnosis.
I work with self-managed and plan-managed NDIS participants. You can also read more about NDIS counselling in Cairns.
Do you offer online addiction counselling?
Yes. Sessions are available online across Australia by video or phone. This can help if travel, privacy, work, disability, distance or anxiety makes in-person sessions harder.
Do I need a GP referral or Mental Health Care Plan?
No. You can book directly. Because this is counselling rather than a Medicare-rebated psychology service, you do not need a GP referral or Mental Health Care Plan to start.
Can addiction be linked to anxiety, grief, stress or trauma?
Yes. Addiction can sit beside anxiety, grief, trauma, stress, pain, shame, loneliness, major life changes or relationship pressure. Counselling can look at both the behaviour and what may be happening underneath it.
Depending on what is going on, you may also find anxiety counselling, grief counselling, or men’s counselling relevant.
How many sessions will I need?
It depends on your goals, the pattern you are dealing with, and what kind of support feels useful. Some people use counselling short term for clarity and strategies. Others prefer ongoing support while they make changes over time.
What if I feel embarrassed or ashamed?
Shame is one of the main reasons people delay getting help. You do not need to present perfectly or have the right words. Counselling is a space to talk honestly without being judged.
Still not sure whether counselling is the right fit? Start with a free 15-minute meet and greet.
Book a Free 15-Minute Meet & Greet