Addiction counselling in Cairns, starting where you are.
Maybe you're drinking to switch off, finding it hard to reduce drug use, hiding gambling losses or returning to a habit you thought you'd left behind.
I'm Allan Bunyan, a counsellor based in Cairns City. I offer drug and alcohol counselling and gambling counselling, face-to-face in Cairns or by phone and video. Sessions are confidential and practical, focused on understanding the pattern, managing urges and finding safer, realistic next steps at a pace that works for you.
It doesn't always look like an addiction.
People can still be working, caring for family and keeping up appearances while feeling that a substance or behaviour has become harder to manage.
You don't need a label, a diagnosis or certainty about stopping before you ask for support.
Alcohol counselling
Drinking more than planned, relying on alcohol to relax or sleep, or worrying about how often you're reaching for it. Am I drinking too much?
Drug counselling
Using to cope, socialise, slow down or feel normal, then finding it difficult to cut back or change the routine.
Gambling counselling
Chasing losses, keeping spending secret, using betting to escape feelings or worrying about the effect on relationships and money. Read more about how financial stress affects your mental health.
Medication, nicotine and repeated patterns
Concerns about how you're using medicines, smoking or vaping, or repeatedly returning to behaviours you've tried to change. Physical dependence isn't the same as addiction, and medication changes need medical advice.
What's happening before the urge?
Alcohol, drug use or gambling can become linked to stress, pain, loneliness, grief, routines or access. Counselling can help make the pattern easier to recognise, rather than relying on willpower alone.
Stress, poor sleep, pain or isolation
A feeling, place, person or routine
Wanting relief, escape or comfort
Drinking, using or gambling
Review what happened and adjust support
This is one illustrative pattern, not a diagnosis or a fixed sequence. Physical dependence and withdrawal require medical consideration.
Start with one difficult evening.
“I plan to have one or two drinks after work, but it keeps becoming more.”
Imagine someone finishing a stressful shift, getting home exhausted and reaching for alcohol to switch off. They intend to have one drink. By the end of the evening, it's more than planned.
We might look at what happens in the hour before the first drink: exhaustion, an argument, a familiar habit, the need to relax or the belief that nothing else will work.
From there, we could explore realistic options. That might mean changing an after-work routine, identifying earlier warning signs, planning support or discussing medical help if dependence is a concern. At the next session, we'd review what happened without treating a setback as failure.
This is a fictional illustration, not an account of a client. Different risks may require specialist addiction or medical support.
Practical, collaborative and on your side.
You might want to stop, reduce harm, understand a repeated pattern or rebuild trust. The work starts with your priorities and a realistic assessment of safety.
Motivational interviewing
Explore mixed feelings about changing without pressure to give a particular answer.
CBT-informed strategies
Understand the connections between thoughts, emotions, access, routines, behaviour and consequences.
Harm reduction
Identify immediate risks, safer choices and additional support when the circumstances require it.
Planning for lapses and relapse
Recognise warning signs, prepare for difficult moments and review setbacks without blame. You can download a free habit plan and urge surfing sheet from my free counselling resources.
Trauma-informed support
Explore difficult experiences, grief or emotional pressure at a manageable pace. See trauma counselling in Cairns.
Relationships and family pressures
Work through boundaries, communication, trust and the emotional effects of addictive patterns.
Some situations need medical support first
Suddenly stopping heavy alcohol use or certain medicines, including benzodiazepines, can be dangerous. Seek medical advice before making significant changes. I do not provide detoxification, medication management, inpatient rehabilitation or emergency care.
For urgent danger, suspected overdose, seizure, collapse or difficulty breathing, call 000. For free, confidential alcohol and drug advice in Queensland, contact Adis (1800 177 833), available 24/7. You can also read Healthdirect's alcohol guidance or its gambling support information.
Support you can attend in person.
I see clients in Cairns City on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. People travel from across Cairns and nearby areas, including Edmonton, Bentley Park, Gordonvale, Redlynch, Smithfield and the Tablelands.
If travel is difficult, phone and video counselling are also available across Far North Queensland and Australia. I don't operate separate consulting rooms in those suburbs.
“You can speak honestly about what's happening without having to defend yourself or arrive with all the answers.”
Allan Bunyan · CounsellorHi, I'm Allan.
I'm Allan Bunyan, a Cairns-based counsellor with a Diploma of Counselling and membership with Certified Practising Counsellors Australia (CPCA #47516). I support adults and young people aged 14 and over.
My style is practical and collaborative. I draw on motivational interviewing, CBT-informed work, solution-focused and trauma-informed approaches. I also bring lived experience of disability and of navigating harmful or compulsive coping patterns. That informs how I listen, but your experience remains your own.
I work within my scope and discuss referral options when medical, psychiatric or specialist alcohol and other drug support is needed. More about Allan
Worried about a partner or family member?
You can book individual counselling for yourself even when the other person isn't seeking help. We can explore boundaries, communication, wellbeing and safety. If threats, coercive control or violence are present, specialist safety support comes first.
Choose a way to start.
All private counselling sessions are $110 for 50 minutes. No GP referral is needed; Medicare and private health rebates aren't available. You can also choose a free 15-minute introductory phone call. See counselling fees for full details.
Book face-to-face addiction counselling
Select an available Cairns City appointment. Booking uses the same private counselling calendar as the homepage.
Book phone or video addiction counselling
Choose an available remote appointment from a suitable, private space.
Book a free 15-minute introductory phone call
This is a chance to ask basic questions about the service, not a counselling or crisis assessment session.
Need help booking? Call or text 0423 763 712 or contact me here. Where NDIS funding is being considered, discuss suitability first: general addiction treatment is not automatically NDIS-funded.
Addiction counselling FAQs
Do I have to stop drinking, using or gambling before counselling?
No. You can talk about what's happening even if you're unsure what you want to change. Your goals and safety guide our work. If physical dependence or withdrawal is possible, seek appropriate medical advice before stopping certain substances or medicines.
How soon can I get an appointment?
The booking calendar on this page shows the next available times. Face-to-face sessions are on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in Cairns City. Phone and video sessions are available on other days too. If you can't find a time that works, call or text 0423 763 712. If you're thinking about phone or video, read what to expect from online addiction counselling.
What happens in the first session?
We talk about what's been happening, what you'd like to change and what's getting in the way. I'll ask about safety and any medical concerns, and we'll go over confidentiality. You don't need to have it all worked out. By the end, we'll agree on a first small step and whether more sessions would help. More on what happens in your first counselling session.
Should I see a private counsellor or use a free service?
Cairns has free services that do good work. The Cairns Community Alcohol and Other Drugs Service (8 Aplin Street, 07 4226 2777) offers free counselling and withdrawal support. Gambling Help Cairns (19 Vallely Street, Freshwater) offers free gambling counselling, and the 24/7 Gambling Helpline is 1800 858 858. A free service may suit you if cost is the main barrier, or if you may need withdrawal support or medical care. Private counselling with me may suit you if you want the same counsellor each session, to book online, to choose face-to-face or phone and video, or to skip a referral or intake process.
Can I bring my partner or a family member?
I offer one-to-one counselling only. You can book a session for yourself to talk about how someone else's drinking, drug use or gambling is affecting you, or how your own use is affecting your relationships.
Can I come if I've returned to an old pattern or relapsed?
Yes. Counselling can explore the warning signs, circumstances and supports around a lapse, while considering additional medical or specialist care where needed. Setbacks don't need to become a reason to avoid support. Read why setbacks are normal.
Is counselling confidential?
Counselling is private, with limits where there are serious safety, legal or safeguarding obligations. We discuss confidentiality and its limits as part of the service.
Do you provide addiction counselling for teenagers?
Appointments are available for people aged 14 and over. For young people under 18, consent, guardian involvement and confidentiality are discussed according to the young person's circumstances and safety needs. Some presentations need specialist youth alcohol and drug support. See how counselling for teenagers works in Cairns.
Is addiction counselling covered by the NDIS?
General addiction treatment isn't automatically NDIS-funded. Where there are disability-related counselling needs, any NDIS arrangement requires assessment of the support purpose, the participant's plan and current funding rules before services start. Read can you use your NDIS plan for addiction counselling? or see NDIS counselling in Cairns.
What if I need detoxification or medical treatment?
I don't provide detoxification, prescribe medication or offer inpatient rehabilitation. Your GP or a specialist alcohol and other drug service can discuss medical care. For urgent danger call 000. Queensland's Adis is available on 1800 177 833 for free 24/7 information and referral.
Where can I attend in person?
My room is at 129A Lake Street, Cairns City, with face-to-face appointments on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Phone and video appointments are available across Australia.
Book addiction counselling in Cairns.
If alcohol, drugs, gambling or another pattern is taking up more of your life than you want, you can start with one conversation. We can talk about what's been happening and a realistic place to start.
Strong Foundation Support is not a crisis or withdrawal service. In immediate danger call 000. For free 24/7 alcohol and drug information in Queensland, contact Adis 1800 177 833. If addiction isn't your main concern, explore general counselling in Cairns.