How to untangle alcohol from your identity

- Why alcohol becomes more than a habit and what it may be regulating beneath the surface

- How stress, trauma and high-functioning pressure shape our relationship with drinking

- The emotional layers, including shame and loss, that often keep patterns in place

- Trauma-informed pathways to change that go beyond willpower and focus on safety and self-understanding

About Paula Williams:

Awarded Trauma-Informed Therapist of the Year 2026 (GHP Mental Health Awards), Paula Williams is a psychotherapist with over 25 years of experience specialising in trauma, EMDR, generational healing, identity work and supporting sex workers and individuals navigating addiction and recovery. Her work spans drug and alcohol services, rehabilitation settings and long-term support for families affected by substance misuse. Known for her depth, warmth, and straight-talking compassion, Paula works with founders, creatives and high-functioning individuals who often carry more than they show. Her approach moves beyond labels and willpower, focusing instead on understanding what coping strategies, including alcohol, have been regulating beneath the surface. As Paula often says, “Sometimes the questions we’re most afraid to ask are the ones holding the most truth and the most possibility.” Through her work, she helps people make sense of their patterns, reconnect with themselves and build change that is steady, sustainable and real. Her message is simple yet powerful: you are not broken, you are responding to what your nervous system learned to survive. Paula meets people where they are, helping them turn wounds into wisdom and trust the answers they already carry within.