Most people who call about drinking or drug use are not sure they have a problem. They know something has shifted. One glass of wine became three. The prescription ran out and the need for it did not. Someone at home has started counting.
You do not have to decide what to call it before you start. Substance use counseling here is outpatient talk therapy: a regular session by secure video with a licensed counselor.
We work with people who want to stop, people who are not yet sure what they want, people in early recovery, and people who love someone who uses.
Change starts with an honest conversation, not a label.
In plain language
This is counseling for drinking or drug use. You do not need to call it addiction to start. We meet by video. We also help people in recovery, and family members of someone who uses. This is not detox or rehab.
May help with
How substance use and recovery counseling works
An Honest Look
Lay out what you use, when, and what it does for you, without a lecture. Most people have never seen the whole picture in one place.
Understand The Pull
Identify the routines, triggers, and feelings behind the use, including the stress, pain, or trauma it may be quieting.
Build A Plan
Set a goal that is yours, and plan for cravings, high-risk situations, and the people and places that make it harder.
Protect The Recovery
Plan for the hard stretches, like holidays and anniversaries, and rebuild trust at home at a pace that holds.
What People Bring
What often brings people to this work.
These are the situations people describe most often on a first call. None of them require a diagnosis, and none will be assumed about you.
Gray-Area Drinking
Not a crisis, and not nothing. Drinking more than you mean to, more often than you would like, and wondering whether that is worth talking about. It is.
Early Recovery
The first months after stopping, when the structure of treatment falls away and ordinary life has to hold instead.
After A Relapse
Coming back without starting from zero. A return to use helps identify the gaps in the recovery plan, and the work picks up from there.
What It Was Holding Down
Anxiety, grief, trauma, or chronic stress that the drinking or using kept quiet, and that surfaces once it stops.
High-Pressure Work
Careers where drinking is part of the culture, or where asking for help feels like a risk to your job or your license.
Loving Someone Who Uses
Partners, parents, and adult children trying to help without losing themselves. You can come on your own, whether or not they are ready.
What this is, and what it is not.
This is outpatient counseling by secure video. We do not provide detox, medication, or residential care.
Stopping some substances suddenly, including alcohol and benzodiazepines, can be medically dangerous. If you drink heavily every day or have had withdrawal symptoms before, talk with a doctor before you stop. Counseling can run alongside medical care, and where a prescriber is involved we work with them rather than around them.
If a more intensive level of care is the right fit, we will say so plainly at the consultation and help you find it. The SAMHSA National Helpline, 1-800-662-4357, is free, confidential, and open 24 hours a day. In a crisis, call or text 988.
Where We Serve
Substance Use & Recovery across Texas & New Jersey
Soft Power Psychotherapy offers substance use and recovery counseling by secure, HIPAA-compliant telehealth to clients throughout Texas and New Jersey — wherever you are. Find online therapy in your area:
Insurance
Accepted Plans
No surprise billing.
Self-Pay Rates
Transparent Pricing
Individual (50 min)
$120–$150
Couples (80 min)
$180–$220
Family (80 min)
$180–$220
Group (90 min)
$60–$80
FAQ
Common questions.
Do I have to be sober to start counseling?
No. Many people begin while they are still drinking or using, or before they have decided what they want to change. Working out what you want is part of the work, not a requirement for starting it.
What counts as heavy drinking?
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines heavy drinking as five or more drinks on any day or 15 or more in a week for men, and four or more on any day or eight or more in a week for women. Plenty of people drink below those lines and still do not like what alcohol is doing to their sleep, mood, or relationships. That is a reasonable thing to bring to counseling too.
Do people actually recover?
Yes. In SAMHSA's 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 73 percent of U.S. adults who said they had ever had a drug or alcohol use problem considered themselves in recovery or recovered. Recovery rarely runs in a straight line, and a setback is not the end of it.
Is outpatient counseling enough, or do I need rehab?
It depends on how much you are using, your physical health, and how much support you have around you. Outpatient counseling fits many people, especially when work and home life are still mostly intact. If you need medical withdrawal care or a more intensive program, we will tell you at the free consultation and help you find one.
Can I do substance use counseling online?
Yes. Sessions are held by secure, HIPAA-compliant video from anywhere private. Many people find it easier to be honest from home, and easier to keep going on the weeks when leaving the house feels like too much.
Does insurance cover substance use counseling?
Usually. Outpatient substance use counseling is a standard covered benefit on most plans. We are in-network with Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas and New Jersey, UnitedHealthcare, Optum, Cigna and Oscar. See our insurance page for how to check your coverage, or ask us at the consultation.
My partner or parent is the one using. Can I come on my own?
Yes. Family members often carry as much strain as the person using, and you do not need their agreement to get support for yourself. Couples and family sessions are also available if and when everyone is ready.
Is substance use counseling confidential?
Yes. What you share stays between you and your counselor, with the narrow legal exceptions explained at your first session, such as a risk of serious harm. Nothing is shared with your employer or family without your written consent.
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