Nobody likes being told what to do, and now, when the fairer sex finally have the freedom to choose their own lifestyle, least of all do women. Alcohol counsellors for women are seen as intrusive, especially when they are focused on breaking habits and dependencies that make life bearable. Without an addiction, it seems, nothing else is worthwhile anymore.

If alcohol counsellors for women were seen, instead, as welcome support, it could prove extremely beneficial to women in the short term as well as the long run. Women are the backbone of the family and an important part of society, they are the nourishers, the carriers of life, and they need someone to help maintain their strength, to battle the daily sexism, to boost their confidence in themselves and the world around them, and sometimes, to tell them what's good for them, and what can never be rewarding.

Two recent studies gauged the benefits of alcohol counselling for women who were at risk of becoming pregnant.

In the first, 345 pregnant women who drank were randomized to receive either an alcohol assessment and advice to quit drinking, or an assessment, advice, and a 10-15 minute counselling session with a nutritionist. Women who received counselling were significantly more likely to report abstinence than women who were merely given advice and an assessment. (5.4 odds ratio)

In the second study, 830 women who were not pregnant, but of childbearing potential, and drank risky amounts randomly received one of the following: alcohol and contraceptive information only, or information and 5 counselling sessions over 14 weeks. At the end of 9 months, women in the counselling group were less likely to be drinking risky amounts of alcohol than the information only group.

Imparting information is an effective way to educate people about the damaging effects of alcohol, but as the studies show, (31% vs 46%) it takes 'one on one' or group sessions of interaction with a counsellor to support and sustain an individual in this difficult battle against alcoholism.