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Written by Australian alcohol coaches for people questioning their drinking, cutting back, sober curious or supporting someone they care about.

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  • Alcohol & Wellbeing
  • Mindset & Habits
  • Getting Started
  • Supporting Someone You Care About
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Latest articles

Written by ACA coaches from their own practice and experience.

  • An illustration of a person resting among patterned clouds as a dove carrying an olive branch flies past on a turquoise sky
    Understanding Drinking

    The real reasons we drink alcohol

    For many women, the reasons we drink are much deeper than simply enjoying a glass of wine. Alcohol can become a way of coping — and understanding why opens up a completely different conversation.

    Megan Webb · 4 min read

  • A superb fairy-wren with bright blue plumage perched on a branch in dappled light
    Alcohol & Wellbeing

    Nobody tells you about the blue wrens

    They tell you about the liver, blood pressure and sleep. Nobody tells you about the return of ordinary delight — a pair of blue wrens in the garden on a Tuesday afternoon.

    Tony Richardson · 9 min read

  • A man standing alone in a bare room, facing a large shadow of himself cast on the wall
    Mindset & Habits

    Stealing from your future self

    Most of us make short-term decisions about drinking without much thought for the cumulative cost — to our health, our families and the person we want to be.

    Tony Richardson · 6 min read

  • A woman in a light blue shirt and sunglasses stands by an open car door on a pebbled beach, looking out at a calm sea and distant mountains
    Alcohol & Wellbeing

    Binge drinking: 7 signs it might be more of a problem than you think

    You don't need to drink every day for alcohol to be a problem. Seven signs your binge drinking might be worth getting curious about — without shame, labels or judgement.

    Kathryn Elliott · 7 min read

  • A napkin with the handwritten words 'Don't count the days. Make the days count.' beside a pocket watch and pen
    Mindset & Habits

    Counting days — helpful or harmful?

    Day counts can be brilliantly motivating — until you lose one. Here is why a setback never erases what you have learned.

    Rina Bowring · 6 min read

  • Surreal artwork of a figure facing a swirling cosmic and golden landscape
    Mindset & Habits

    Why willpower doesn't work — and what to do instead

    Willpower is a short-term strategy for a long-term problem. Here is why it runs out, and what actually creates lasting change.

    Larissa Cavanagh · 4 min read

  • Wooden puzzle pieces forming the shape of a head in warm light
    Getting Started

    Coaching vs therapy: which one helps more with drinking?

    Both can help, but they work differently. A plain-language look at what therapy offers, what coaching offers, and how to choose.

    Larissa Cavanagh · 2 min read

  • Two people sitting together and talking quietly by a window
    Supporting Someone You Care About

    How to talk to your partner about getting help with drinking

    Bringing it up can feel vulnerable. Here is how to approach the conversation with clarity, confidence and compassion.

    Larissa Cavanagh · 4 min read

  • A colourful heart-shaped cloud formation at sunset
    Mindset & Habits

    What's love got to do with it?

    Most of us don't reach for a drink because it tastes nice. We drink to handle how we feel. Here is what to do instead.

    Larissa Cavanagh · 4 min read

  • A person standing with arms outstretched in the sunlight
    Getting Started

    How do you really feel about your drinking?

    Not what other people think. Not whether you technically have a problem. Just you, with yourself — and why that answer is enough.

    Larissa Cavanagh · 4 min read

  • Three travellers riding camels across desert sand dunes
    Real Stories

    Can you really enjoy a holiday without alcohol? I found out you can.

    Airports were a trigger, and holidays were rinse-and-repeat. Then one small experiment changed how I travel entirely.

    Larissa Cavanagh · 4 min read

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