I could tell you all day about my approach, my philosophy, my THRIVE System and so on. But honestly, what matters more is whether it actually works for real people dealing with real drinking problems.
Here's what some of the people I've worked with have said about the experience. I'm including these not because I need validation - though it's nice to hear - but because if you're considering reaching out, you probably want to know what actually happens when people work with me.
When you've lost belief it's possible
Lucy came to me having tried everything. Multiple attempts at quitting. Different approaches. Nothing stuck. She'd reached the point where she'd stopped believing change was actually possible for her.
Here's what she said after we worked together:
"It would be no exaggeration to say that David completely changed my life. He is a modest miracle worker, whose gentle, common sense approach and nurturing spirit can help anyone transform their lives. I had lost the belief this was possible, but David proved me wrong. If you are struggling, I would urge anyone to reach out to him. My life now is 100x better than I ever could have imagined and it's all thanks to him."
The "modest miracle worker" bit makes me blush, honestly. I'm not performing miracles. But I understand what Lucy means - when you've tried everything and nothing works, finally finding an approach that fits feels miraculous even though it's just good coaching matched to the right person.
What actually happened with Lucy wasn't magic. It was figuring out why previous approaches hadn't worked for her, then building something that did. The "gentle, common sense approach" she mentions is really just meeting people where they are rather than forcing them into rigid programs.
When you've hit rock bottom multiple times
Sam had been to what she called "rock bottom" several times. She knew she needed to stop drinking. She'd tried before. It hadn't stuck. She needed something that would actually work this time, not just another temporary fix.
"David really turned things around for me. Rock bottom? I've been there a few times. I knew I needed to really do this properly. Phenomenal did the job - it turned things around. So happy. I'm now five months sober. Amazing!"
The enthusiasm in "So happy. I'm now five months sober. Amazing!" tells you something important. Sam isn't grimly white-knuckling through abstinence. She's actually happy about being sober. That's the shift from punishment to privilege right there.
Five months might not sound long to some people, but when you've hit rock bottom multiple times and nothing's worked, five months represents genuine transformation. It's proof that this time is different because the approach is different.
When you can't imagine life without drinking
Keely's concern was one I hear constantly: if I stop drinking, won't life just be boring? She couldn't imagine what sober socialising would even look like. Sitting at home alone, bored, missing out on everything - that was her vision of sobriety.
"Before I started working with David I just couldn't imagine life without drinking. I mean, it's part of life, right? I assumed if I stopped drinking, I'd just sit at home on my own, bored. Who wants that? Well David proved me wrong - not only have I stopped but I'm always on the go. LOL. I'm keeping active, losing weight and way more sociable than I ever used to be. Thanks David."
What Keely discovered is what most people discover: alcohol was actually making her less social, not more. It was narrowing her life, not expanding it. Once she removed it and actively built social life around activities rather than drinking, she became "way more sociable than I ever used to be."
The weight loss she mentions is common too. Alcohol is empty calories and it disrupts your body's ability to process food properly. Remove it and the weight often comes off without even trying.
When you've tried too many times and keep failing
And then we have Danny. His story represents something I see often too: people who've tried repeatedly to stop drinking and failed each time. The repeated failures create this narrative that they're just not capable of quitting. That something's fundamentally wrong with them.
"The penny just dropped! I just couldn't stop! Believe me I'd tried. Too many times in fact. I had five sessions - and the penny finally dropped! David tells it like it is - and that made the difference."
What Danny's describing - "the penny dropped" - is that moment when something clicks. Not because I said something magical in session five that I hadn't said before. Because sometimes insight requires preparation, and the first four sessions were building the foundation for that fifth session breakthrough.
"David tells it like it is" is probably the most accurate description of my approach in all these testimonials. I don't sugarcoat difficulty. I don't promise easy transformation. I tell you honestly what you're facing and what it takes to change it. For some people, that directness is exactly what they need after years of being told what they want to hear.
When you need someone there consistently
Pawel's testimonial highlights something crucial about how I work: consistent support over time, not just information delivered once.
"Thank you David, sobriety rocks! Three months of dedicated support and you were there for me all the way. I'm nearly two years sober now. Go me!"
Three months of dedicated support. That's what made the difference for Pawel - not three months of weekly sessions where he was alone between appointments, but three months where I was actually available when he needed support, not just when we had scheduled calls.
And look at the result: nearly two years sober at the time he wrote this. The initial three months of intensive support created foundation for sustained long-term sobriety. That's what good coaching does - it doesn't just get you through the first few weeks, it builds capability that carries you forward independently.
Also, "sobriety rocks!" - another person who's not grimly enduring abstinence but genuinely enthusiastic about sober life. That's the shift I'm always working toward with people.
When cravings feel overwhelming
Martha's experience with cravings is so common. They felt maddening, uncontrollable, something that just happened to her that she had no power over.
"Honestly the cravings to drink used to be maddening! It wasn't until I realised that I could control them, with David's help, and look out for the things that caused them that they stopped. I'm so grateful, David - I just needed your insight when I needed it."
What Martha discovered is that cravings aren't random. They have triggers. Patterns. When you understand what causes them, you can anticipate and manage them. They don't disappear completely - that's not realistic - but they stop being this overwhelming force you're powerless against.
"I just needed your insight when I needed it" - this is timing. Having support available when you're actually struggling with a craving, not just during scheduled weekly sessions. That real-time support makes enormous difference in building capability to handle cravings independently.
When you believe you're destined to fail
Aleks came to me with a belief that's tragically common: I'm always going to fail at this. Some people can quit drinking. I'm not one of them. This belief is self-fulfilling - if you're convinced you'll fail, you probably will, because you stop trying as hard.
"I just had this belief that I was always going to fail. To the point where I would ask myself if it was worth keeping on trying. Working with David for three months just blew me away: he keeps things simple and was always kind and responsive. 6 months alcohol free for me now - get in!"
What broke through that belief for Aleks wasn't complicated intervention. It was keeping things simple, being kind, being responsive when she needed support. Sometimes the most effective coaching is the most straightforward - understanding what someone needs and providing it consistently.
Six months alcohol free after believing she was destined to fail. "Get in!" - that's genuine pride in achievement. That's someone who's proven to herself that she's more capable than she believed.
Why am I telling you this?
If you read through all of these, you might notice some patterns.
People mention that I'm direct and honest. "Tells it like it is." This isn't about being harsh - it's about being truthful about what transformation requires instead of promising easy solutions.
People mention consistent support. Being there when they need it, not just during scheduled sessions. This availability matters enormously when you're dealing with something as challenging as changing your relationship with alcohol.
People mention that things are kept simple. Not overcomplicated systems or elaborate programs, just straightforward guidance that actually helps.
People mention kindness. This might seem obvious - of course you should be kind to people you're helping - but it's surprisingly rare in recovery spaces that often emphasise tough love or harsh accountability.
And most importantly, people mention actual results. Months or years sober. Lives genuinely improved. Not just abstinence but enthusiasm about sober life.
Am I just big-headed?
I'm not including testimonials to brag or to prove how amazing I am. That would be rude. No, I'm including them because if you're considering reaching out for help, you need to know that real people with real drinking problems have worked with me and succeeded.
Not everyone succeeds. I want to be clear about that. Some people work with me and it doesn't click. Some people aren't ready. Some people need something different than what I offer. That's honest reality.
But for people who are ready, who are genuinely committed to transformation, who need an approach that treats them as individuals rather than as cases to be processed through a program - for those people, this approach works.
These testimonials represent years of sobriety across multiple people. Hundreds of months of cumulative alcohol-free life that might not have happened without support. That matters.
What's in it for you?
If you're reading these testimonials and thinking "that sounds like me" - if you've tried multiple times and failed, if you can't imagine life without drinking, if cravings feel overwhelming, if you believe you're destined to fail - then you're exactly who I work with.
These aren't exceptional people with exceptional willpower. They're ordinary people who struggled with drinking and found an approach that worked for them.
You could be writing a similar testimonial six months or a year from now. Not because I'm magic, but because the right support at the right time makes transformation possible that seemed impossible alone.
The question isn't whether other people have succeeded working with me. They have. The question is whether you're ready to find out if this approach works for you.
If you are, book that free call. Let's talk. Let's see if we can add your success story to this list.
Book a free discovery call. We'll talk honestly about where you are and whether my approach fits what you need.
If we're a good match, we'll work together. If not, we'll know and maybe I can point you toward someone or something else.
Either way, you'll have clarity about your next step.