Viki Vallance-Clark is a Clinical Hypnotherapist and Neuroplastician dedicated to helping individuals achieve freedom from alcohol dependence and reclaim control over their lives. She emphasises that willpower alone isn’t the answer, but instead, she uses brain-rewiring and internal integrative change work to address the root causes behind habitual drinking. As the creator of the "Over The Influence" Stop Drinking Program, Viki provides a compassionate, science-backed approach that creates lasting change and transforms lives, helping people build balanced, fulfilling lives free from alcohol dependence.
Viki Vallance-Clark, Alcohol Therapist
Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life so we can get to know you better.
Hello! I'm Viki Vallance-Clark, I’m British, born in Nottinghamshire, now living in Lincolnshire. I’m 55 years old and happily married for 28 years to my rock of a husband. We've raised three incredible sons who are now all in their 20's and 30's and living their own lives, and I've recently had the absolute joy of becoming a grandmother to a beautiful baby girl, Isla.
We also recently rescued two fox-red Labradors, both of whom have stolen our hearts (and my shoes, on more than one occasion). Life at home is lively, with these 2 keeping us all on our toes.
Professionally, I’ve always been drawn to Health and Social Care, but my journey took a life-changing turn 10 years ago when I found my Dad's dead body, ravaged from a lifetime of alcohol abuse, which made me take a long, hard look at myself. I wasn’t a daily drinker, but my drinking binges had become a problem I couldn't keep ignoring. The idea of my children finding me like that was unbearable.
Determined to find a solution outside of AA or rehab, I met this amazing Australian lady online. She changed everything. She did her magic and it felt as though a switch had been flipped in my brain, any desires for cigarettes or alcohol completely vanished. I was amazed. This transformative experience lit a fire in me and fuelled my passion to start studying and training in these healing modalities. I immersed myself and eventually developed my program to help others overcome alcohol dependency. From that moment on, I haven't looked back.
What are some common misconceptions people have about giving up alcohol, and how do you address them?
One of the biggest misconceptions about giving up alcohol is that it’s purely a matter of willpower. People believe they need to try harder, push through cravings, or force themselves to resist. This couldn’t be further from the truth, and it’s why so many find themselves stuck in a cycle of drinking, trying to stop, beating themselves up because they can't, and then reaching for a drink again to feel better.
The problem isn’t a weak will or lack of discipline; it’s the deeply ingrained habitual neural pathways in the brain that drive the compulsion to drink as a form of self-medicating, amongst other things.
When someone uses alcohol to cope with stress, overcome boredom, for confidence, to numb emotions, to fill a void, or whatever their reason, the brain reinforces that behaviour through repetition. Every time they reach for a drink to “take the edge off” or “calm down,” their brains learn: This works. Do it again. Over time, these neural pathways become well-worn, like a groove in a record. Even when someone consciously wants to stop, these subconscious patterns can override their willpower and intentions, making it feel almost impossible to break free.
I work with clients to identify root causes and these subconscious patterns and rewire the brain at its core. Using brain-rewiring techniques and integrative change work, we interrupt those well-worn pathways and create new, healthier ones. By working with the subconscious mind, the part of the brain responsible for those automatic behaviours, we identify and neutralise triggers and emotional drivers and shift the association away from alcohol as a solution.
This isn’t about forcing change; it’s about completely removing the underlying compulsion. Once those triggers are addressed and the brain is rewired, clients often describe it as though the desire to drink has simply been switched off. They don't feel that internal tug-of-war anymore, and so they don't need willpower. It’s a completely different experience from what most people imagine when they think about stopping drinking, which is why I’m so passionate about it.
Can you share one of the most impactful success stories from your clients?
Oh yeah, let me see, that would be a client who came to me at her absolute lowest.
She was at her wit's end, like really, drinking every single day, and her life was a complete mess. She’d lost her job, her husband, and her driving licence; all she did was cry, and she felt utterly hopeless. She was suicidal and couldn’t see a way out.
When she started the program, she didn’t believe anything could help her. This is common. We worked through the patterns driving her dependency. Slowly but surely, she began to rediscover herself and rebuild her life.
Today, her transformation is amazing. She’s found the love of her life, has taken up horse riding, discovered new hobbies that light her up, and landed a job she loves. She’s genuinely happy, something she once thought was impossible.
Seeing her go from feeling completely defeated to thriving in every area of her life is a constant reminder of the incredible resilience and strength people have when they’re given the right tools and support. It’s stories like hers that make this work so profoundly rewarding.
This kind of transformation isn’t unusual for my clients. People often come to me just wanting to stop drinking. They imagine life without alcohol will mean feeling deprived or fighting cravings forever, which is common with the AA approach. But what they discover is so much more profound. Stopping drinking is just the beginning, and they learn to truly love themselves, sometimes for the very first time.
When clients come to me, they’re often consumed by shame, self-doubt, and the belief that they’re broken. Alcohol becomes their way of numbing those feelings. But as we work together to address the root causes of their drinking, something incredible happens. They don’t just remove the triggers and desire for alcohol; they start to see their worth and rebuild a relationship with themselves.
It’s not just about giving up the booze or avoiding the pub or environments and events where alcohol is prevalent; it’s about creating a life they don’t feel the need to escape from. They find new passions, build meaningful relationships, especially the ones with themselves, and develop a sense of calm and confidence they never thought possible. It’s a total shift in how they see themselves and their lives.
What’s truly beautiful is watching that moment when it clicks, when they realise they’re no longer punishing themselves but actively caring for themselves. Stopping drinking is life-changing, yes, but learning to love themselves? That’s the real transformation. People who love themselves don't pour toxic poison down their throats day in and day out. And that’s what my work is all about.
What strategies or tools do you recommend for someone just beginning their journey to sobriety?
Well, it’s crucial to understand that it’s never really about the drinking. Alcohol is just a symptom, a solution, in fact, to something much deeper. It’s a way of coping with unaddressed, unresolved, and unprocessed issues from the past, a coping mechanism.
Often, you know, I’ve found it stems from a deeply ingrained feeling of not being good enough, a belief that’s reinforced by the world around us. Social media, advertising, and even our culture push the idea that we’re not enough unless we look a certain way, own the right things, or live a particular lifestyle.
The first step is recognising that you are whole and complete, just as you are. You don’t need a promotion at work, another goal to achieve, a new car, the perfect holiday, or even a partner to feel fulfilled. That idea that “you complete me” is a myth sold to us in love songs and rom-coms. The work we do together is also about understanding the brain and body connection, learning how to control the mind instead of it controlling you, about emotional intelligence and regulation, as well as developing self-compassion and letting go of the constant self-judgment and critical self-talk.
Practicing simple strategies like proper breathing can be a game changer. One of the simplest yet most powerful tools I recommend is proper breathing. 80% of people are dysfunctional breathers, according to James Nestor, Breathwork Specialist, American Author, and Science Journalist.
Anxiety is a common problem associated with excessive drinking. Breathwork helps bring the nervous system back into regulation. Something as simple as focusing on making your exhale longer than your inhale sends a signal to your nervous system that you’re safe. Just two minutes of this can calm you down, regulate the nervous system, and stop the fight-or-flight response, which can trigger a craving for a drink as a form of self-soothing.
When you experience a craving, a neural network lights up in your brain, triggering the fight-or-flight response. Your brain’s immediate reaction is to look for something to calm you down.
Because the brain will always seek pleasure and avoid pain, if you’ve been conditioned to reach for a drink, that’s exactly what you’ll do. This eventually becomes a bigger problem because your body builds up tolerance, and all of a sudden, one drink isn’t enough.
By addressing and rewiring the root causes, the things that led you to drink in the first place, and learning to soothe yourself in healthier ways, you can break this cycle. The cravings don’t feel as overwhelming, and over time, as you work through my program, they disappear entirely. It’s not about deprivation; it’s about resolving the root cause, rewiring neural networks, rebuilding your self-concept, and finding true peace within.
How does your program stand out from other sobriety or recovery resources available today?
Because it’s unlike anything else out there, I genuinely don’t know anyone doing what I do. Most approaches to quitting drinking focus on mindfulness techniques, mindset shifts, coaching, books, rehab, or AA. While those can work for some, they often miss the mark and fall short for others. What sets my program apart is that it’s entirely my creation, developed from personal experience and it's grounded in what genuinely works: rewiring neural networks and removing the desire and triggers to needing or wanting to drink.
I’ve been sober for six years, and the methods I use are based on real, lived experience combined with continuous learning and refinement. Over the years, my program has evolved as I’ve invested in additional training, keeping up with neuroscience and the latest discoveries in neuroplasticity, which is key to the work I do. It’s endlessly fascinating to me the vastness of the subconscious mind and the secrets it holds and how the brain can rewire itself and create entirely new patterns, allowing people to live free from the desire to drink.
What truly sets my program apart is the result: my clients consistently report that not only have they stopped drinking, but the desire and triggers are completely removed. They can be around others who are drinking without feeling tempted or bothered in the slightest. It’s as if they've never been a drinker, except better because they are not going to fall for that trap again. It's not about using willpower or avoiding situations; it’s about genuine freedom from the need for a drink.
It's not a cookie-cutter approach; it’s deeply personal 1 on 1 and tailored to address the root causes of each individual’s relationship with alcohol. I’m passionate about this work and will always continue to refine and improve my program, ensuring it reflects the best of what we know about the brain and its incredible ability to heal and change.
If you’re considering taking the first step to stopping drinking but feel apprehensive, the first thing I’d say is this: it’s completely normal to feel that way. Most of my clients do. Change can feel overwhelming, especially when alcohol has been a crutch or coping mechanism for so long. But remember, it’s not about giving something up; it's about taking everything back.
Start by being honest with yourself about why you want to stop. What is alcohol costing you? Financially? Your health? Your happiness? Your peace of mind? Getting clear on this can be a powerful motivator. At the same time, it’s important to approach this journey with self-compassion.
You’re not broken, and this isn’t about fixing you. It’s about letting go of something that’s holding you back and learning how to care for yourself in a way that feels good and sustainable.
What advice would you give to someone considering taking the first step to ditch alcohol but feeling apprehensive?
Understand that it’s never about the alcohol itself. The drinking is just a symptom of something deeper, whether that's unresolved stuff or a habitual pattern that needs rewiring. When you address the stuff underneath, and not in a way that retraumatises you by dredging up stuff that happened in the past, which is too often what talk therapy and counseling do, but in a solution-focused way where the desire to drink dissolves.
You don’t need to rely on willpower or battle cravings endlessly. There’s a way to remove the triggers and desires completely.
And finally, take it one step at a time. You don’t have to figure it all out at once. The first step might simply be deciding you deserve better.
The cycle of drinking doesn't break by resisting cravings or pushing harder. It breaks when you treat yourself like someone worth saving.
Trust and love yourself enough to take that first step.
Change might feel scary now, but imagine how incredible it will feel when you wake up full of energy with no anxiety, well rested, proud of yourself instead of ashamed, living a life, you're excited about and don’t need to escape from, to finally be free.
Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far.
My greatest career achievement is undoubtedly the work I’m doing now, helping people stop drinking and transform their lives. It’s not just about my clients; it’s about the ripple effect this work has on their families, their children, and future generations.
I know firsthand the pain alcohol can inflict on a family. Growing up, I was a victim of domestic violence because of my Dad’s drinking. That experience profoundly shaped me, and it fuels my passion today. If I can help just one family avoid the trauma I lived through, I know I’ve done what I came here to do.
Every time a client tells me they are calmer and more even-tempered, more present with their kids, their kids are happier, their relationships are healing, or that they feel like the parent, partner, daughter/son, friend, sister/brother they always wanted to be, it fills me with such happiness and purpose. I breathe a huge sigh of relief, and a smile spreads across my face. I actually feel my shoulders relax listening to their testimonials and reviews and chatting with them.
Seeing how this work changes not just lives but entire family dynamics and generationally too is, without a doubt, the most meaningful achievement of my life.
If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why?
If I could change one thing about my industry, Oh, there are many things though, it would be the outdated belief that drinking itself is the problem or that stopping is just a matter of willpower.
There’s a damaging narrative that if you can’t stop, it’s because you lack discipline or are weak-willed; you just need to be stronger. That just perpetuates shame. People who drink don't need more of that, and they are their own worst critic.
I’d also challenge the traditional group methods like AA, where you stand up in front of a room full of strangers, already weighed down by shame, and repeatedly label yourself as the very thing you’re trying not to be. To me, that’s counterproductive. Affirming "I am an alcoholic" over and over reinforces an identity you’re working to leave behind. It’s like trying to move forward through sludge with an anchor on your ankle holding you back.
I believe the popularity of group support programs like AA comes from the fact that people with the same problem naturally gravitate toward each other. It’s human nature. Heroin addicts tend to stick together, smokers often share breaks and bond over a cigarette, and drinkers gather at pubs or social events. There’s a sense of togetherness in shared struggles, being part of a group, belonging, and a feeling of not being alone in what you’re facing.
While this can provide a healing sense of community, it also reinforces the identity tied to the behaviour. Surrounding yourself with people who share the same challenges can sometimes make it harder to break free, as the problem becomes normalised within the group.
That’s why I focus on helping my clients 1:1 and not just to stop drinking but to build a life that doesn’t revolve around alcohol, freeing them from both the compulsion and the environment that perpetuates it.
A lot of my clients who tried AA meetings found they wanted a drink more after a meeting because the focus is on alcohol, which puts it up on a pedestal.
I’d also challenge the idea that alcoholism is a disease. Alcohol is a drug, just like any other. We don’t say people who smoke cigarettes have “nicotineism” or that people who gamble suffer from “gambleism.” Or that people who take drugs suffer from drugism, or cocainism, etc. You get my drift.
Yet, with alcohol, there’s this widespread narrative that frames it as a disease, which I believe is partly because there’s significant money to be made in classifying it that way. Rehab is a huge industry, as are the medications prescribed to treat it, and there is lots of money to be made there.
Stanton Peele and Zach Rhoads, in their book "Outgrowing Addiction," argue that viewing addiction as a disease undermines individuals' ability to overcome it. I would agree because if it was a disease, then my program wouldn't be as successful as it is.
Labeling it as a disease is disempowering for people, making them feel as though they’re broken or that their addiction is something outside of their control. It’s a habit and you’re not a victim. That’s why I disagree with one of the AA premises that you are powerless. You are not powerless. It’s the brain doing what brains do and brains can be changed.
In reality, alcohol dependency is often a learned behaviour, a coping mechanism for either unresolved pain, trauma, or stress. When we focus on healing the root causes and reprogramming the behaviours associated with drinking, people can move beyond it without feeling trapped by the idea that they’re battling a lifelong disease.
What’s often missed is that drinking isn’t the problem, it’s a symptom. The root is the real problem. If we could shift the focus to rewiring those root causes rather than shaming or labelling people, we’d see far more effective and compassionate solutions.
This reframing doesn’t minimise the struggle, it shifts the focus to solutions and empowerment rather than shame and labels.
That’s the direction I believe the industry should be moving towards.
If you'd like to hear more from me, you can sign up to receive my free 5-day email course, which shows you How To Rewire Your Brain to Stop Drinking in 5-Days.
Alternatively, you can visit my website and book a free consultation call here.
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