Addiction Release Therapy

Transform your relationship with substances in six weeks or less — safely, compassionately, and with evidence-based hypnotherapy.

Book Your Free No Obligation Discovery Call

Are You Ready to Release the Past?

It’s time to stop fighting and start healing.

If you are struggling with dependency, you already know the cycle. It is not just about the substance; it is about the heavy burden of regrets and resentment, the weight of guilt and grief, and the anxiety that keeps you trapped in old patterns.

You may have tried willpower alone, but addiction often resides deep in the subconscious mind—the very place where your habits, emotional learnings, and identity are stored. When we try to fight these deep-seated programs with just our conscious mind, we often find ourselves exhausted and back at square one.

At Paul Matthews Hypnotherapy, I understand that dependency is often a misguided attempt by your subconscious to protect you or help you cope with unresolved pain. But I also know that you have the power to dissolve these old burdens and strengthen positively .

Important Clinical Notice: Addiction Release Therapy (DRT) is a complementary therapy designed to work alongside conventional care. It does not provide medical advice. Any changes to prescribed medication or detoxification processes must be discussed and agreed upon with your GP, consultant, or addiction medical team.

At a Glance: Key Details

The Goal

To dissolve the emotional roots of dependency and build a new identity where willpower is no longer needed.

Typical Duration

Usually a structured 3 or 6-session protocol, with options for intensive blocks or ongoing support as needed.

Therapeutic Approach

Integrative Clinical Hypnotherapy combined with Trauma-Informed methods, NLP, CBT elements, and Timeline work.

Location & Availability

Based in Clonee, Dublin 15. Supporting clients completely online across Ireland, the UK, and Europe.

Who It Is For

Adults ready to change their relationship with substances or prescribed meds, looking beyond "just say no."

Format & Privacy

Secure, private 1:1 sessions via Google Meet. Engage in therapy conveniently from your own safe space.

The D.R.U.G. R.E.L.E.A.S.E. Model

D.R.U.G

Dissolve Regrets & Resentment: We clear the emotional debris from the past that fuels current usage.

Release Guilt & Grief: We process and release the deep-seated emotions of loss and shame.

Understand & Uncover Root Causes: We identify the emotional triggers and the first moment the need began.

Gain Control & Grounding: We install anchors for safety and calm.

R.E.L.E.A.S.E.

Release & Reprogramme Emotional Learnings: We update old subconscious "software" with healthy coping strategies.

Eliminate Anger, Anguish, Anxiety & Stress: We remove the emotional fuel that drives cravings.

Let Go of Limiting Beliefs: We shatter beliefs like "I am an addict" and replace them with empowerment.

Empower Your New Identity: We build a vivid, compelling future self who is clean and strong.

Anchor Positive States: We give you physical tools to access calm instantly.

Strengthen and Energize Positively: We flood your system with the energy of health and freedom.

Evolve into Your Future Self: We cement your new identity so it becomes your natural way of being.

What is Addiction Release Therapy (ART)?

Addiction Release Therapy (ART) is a structured hypnotherapy pathway that focuses on the deeper causes of dependency. Instead of only trying to control urges, we work with the emotional and subconscious patterns that keep pulling you back – things like trauma, shame, regret, anxiety and deeply‑held beliefs about yourself.

Using hypnotherapy, NLP and trauma‑informed techniques, we help your mind and nervous system learn new ways to cope, so that drugs become less necessary and change becomes more possible.

Common areas I help with:

Alcohol dependence or patterns of binge-drinking.
Prescription medications (such as codeine‑based painkillers and benzodiazepines), with any tapering carefully managed under your prescriber’s supervision.
Cannabis, hash, heroin, and other illicit (street) drugs.
Cocaine, MDMA/ecstasy, ketamine, amphetamines, and similar commonly misused substances.
Polysubstance abuse: using more than one substance at the same time (for example, alcohol with cocaine, or codeine with cannabis).
Behavioural compulsions that commonly occur alongside substance use, such as sugar cravings, excessive gaming, pornography, and impulsive spending.

If you’ve tried to stop before and found yourself pulled back, this work helps release the internal pulls — the learned associations, memory networks, and protective parts that keep the old pattern running.

Why this works

Subconscious re-patterning – We work at the level where triggers, cravings and automatic decisions are made – your subconscious. In hypnosis, we can update those patterns so that old cues lose their grip and new responses feel more natural.
Trauma-informed – If trauma or difficult life experiences sit underneath your use, we approach them slowly and safely. The focus is on reducing emotional charge and building stability – not forcing you to relive everything.
Identity, not just behaviour – Long‑term change is easier when the way you see yourself changes too. We work on moving from “someone who uses” or “someone who always messes up” to a more compassionate, capable sense of self.
Structured, but flexible - Most clients follow a 6‑session protocol, but the pace and focus can be adjusted to your needs, your safety and your existing supports.

Why This Approach Works

Rewiring the Subconscious for Freedom

Using the DRT model, we don't just suppress cravings; we collapse them. We work to resolve the internal conflicts that drive dependency, helping you build a new identity that is naturally repelled by old habits.

Core Techniques Used

Timeline Regression: We gently guide your subconscious mind back to the root emotional events—the moments where the need or urge first began. By revisiting these moments safely, we can dissolve the regret and resentment tied to them.

Parts Integration: Often, there is an inner conflict: a part of you wants to stop, while another part craves relief. We use NLP Parts Integration to help these opposing sides communicate and merge into one unified force for healing.

The Swish Pattern: This rapid NLP technique helps interrupt automatic negative impulses. We take the image of the old trigger and "swish" it instantly with an image of your empowered, clean self.

Craving Collapse: We utilise dissociation techniques to strip the emotional power away from triggers. By altering how you visualize the craving, we can neutralize its hold on you.

Future Pacing & Identity Rebuild: We don't just stop the habit; we build the new you. Through deep hypnotic visualization, we install a "Future Self" who is strong, free, and radiant.

Prefer to listen rather than read? Tune into this 12-minute AI-generated audio overview based entirely on the DRT Protocol. In this deep-dive discussion, our virtual hosts analyse why willpower alone often fails against subconscious dependency and how the D.R.U.G. R.E.L.E.A.S.E. model rewires the brain for freedom.

(Note: This audio is an AI-generated summary designed to help you understand the concepts of the therapy.)

Listen: The Addiction Release Therapy

Deep Dive

Choose Your Path to Freedom

Option 1: The 3-Session Intensive Approach

Best for those ready to make a rapid shift, break specific habit loops, and who may have less complex trauma history.

Session 1: Dissolve, Understand & Connect (Dissolving regrets & anchoring safety).

Session 2: Release & Reprogramme (Deep release of emotional anchors).

Session 3: Eliminate & Empower (Craving collapse & identity rebirthing).

Option 2: The 6-Session Deep Transformation Approach

Best for those dealing with deeper trauma, long-term dependency, or complex emotional triggers requiring more sustained support.

Sessions 1-2: Discovery, Dissolution & Grief Processing.

Sessions 3-4: Parts Healing, Release & Reprogramming Beliefs.

Sessions 5-6: Craving Collapse, Anxiety Release & Identity Rebuild.

With over 21 years of experience working with people affected by addiction and trauma, I offer a blend of solid clinical training and deep, frontline understanding. I don’t just know the theory of addiction – I have spent decades working with the reality of it.With

Real-World Experience. Clinical Expertise. Zero Judgment.

For more than 21 years, I worked on the frontline with the Dublin Simon Community in homeless services, supporting people facing long-term addiction, trauma and some of the harshest realities of life.

During this time, I was also practising as a Clinical Hypnotherapist in the evenings and at weekends. My approach has been shaped not only in classrooms and courses, but alongside real people in crisis, over many years.

21+ Years of Frontline Experience

This experience has shown me that drugs are often a survival strategy, not a “moral failing”. I am comfortable working with complex life stories. You will not be judged for where you have been, what you have used, or what has happened to you. We start from where you are now, and work together from there.

A Perspective Built on Respect

Today, I focus on helping clients address the deeper roots of dependency and emotional pain, including:

PTSD and Complex PTSD (CPTSD)

Trauma and childhood trauma

Anxiety and panic

Addictions and compulsive behaviours

Drug Release Therapy draws on this trauma-informed background to support safer, more sustainable change.

Clinical Hypnotherapist & Trauma Specialist

All sessions are held online, so you can engage in this work from the privacy of your own space. This allows you to access specialised Drug Release Therapy whether you are in Ireland, the UK or anywhere across Europe, without the stress of travel or attending a clinic in person.

Convenient Online Therapy

Why Work With Paul?

Download the Guide

Download Guide to Share with a Loved One

This free guide is designed for partners, parents, and friends who want to offer support without adding pressure. It explains the DRT approach in a clear, compassionate way, focusing on healing emotional pain rather than just stopping a behaviour. Download it today so you have it to hand when your loved one is ready to listen.

The Golden Rule: They Must Be Ready.

While DRT is a powerful tool for change, hypnotherapy cannot be forced.

For this therapy to work, your loved one must be ready to let go. I cannot "make" someone stop if they are not internally motivated. The desire for freedom must come from them, even if it is just a small spark.

If they are ready, I can help them do the rest.

Watching Someone You Love Struggle?

A Guide for Partners, Parents, and Families.

Watching a partner, child, or close friend battle dependency is one of the most isolating and heartbreaking experiences in life. You likely live in a constant state of "high alert"—waiting for the next phone call, the next discovery, or the next relapse.

You may have tried pleading, bargaining, anger, or "tough love." When those don't work, it is easy to feel like they are choosing the substance over you.

But addiction is rarely a choice. It is a subconscious survival strategy.

Why They Can't Just "Stop

Your loved one is likely trapped in a loop driven by deep-seated emotions—often Regret, Guilt, and Grief. The substance is the only tool they have found to silence that pain.

Addiction Release Therapy (ART) works because we stop fighting the behaviour and start healing the root cause.

We help them dissolve the guilt they feel for hurting you.

We release the shame that keeps them hiding.

We install a new identity that allows them to feel safe without the substance.

What You Can Do Right Now

1. Share the Information

Don't push. Just share. Send them the link to this page or download the Client Guide PDF. Say something simple: "I found this. It’s not about rehab or willpower; it’s about dealing with the emotions behind it. Have a look when you’re ready."

2. Step Back with Love

Let them be the one to book the Discovery Call. Taking that first small step is a vital part of them reclaiming their power and dignity.

3. Know There is Hope,

I have worked with people who felt completely hopeless—trapped in cycles of relapse for years—who found their way out once the emotional roots were treated. Recovery is possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Embarking on a journey to resolve dependency is a significant step, and it is entirely natural to have questions or concerns before you begin. You may be wondering about the practicalities of online sessions, safety during hypnotherapy, or how this approach differs from methods you may have tried in the past.

These are answers to the most common queries I receive about Addiction Release Therapy (DRT). My goal is to provide you with the clarity and reassurance you need to move forward with confidence. If your specific question is not addressed here, please do not hesitate to book a free Discovery Call to discuss your situation directly.

Do I need to be completely detoxed or sober to start therapy?

You do not need to have completed a long-term medical detox to begin the conversation. However, it is absolutely essential that you are sober and not under the influence of alcohol or non-prescribed substances during our online sessions. For hypnotherapy to be safe and effective, your mind needs to be clear and receptive.

What substances or behaviours can DRT help with?

Because DRT addresses the underlying emotional drivers of dependency—rather than just the substance itself—it is effective for a wide range of issues. We successfully work with clients dealing with alcohol, cocaine, cannabis, prescription medications, as well as behavioural dependencies like gambling or compulsive sugar consumption.

Do I need to be "addicted" to benefit?

Not at all. DRT is highly effective for any dependency or compulsive habit that you feel you cannot control, regardless of whether it involves a substance or a specific behaviour. If you find that feelings of regret, guilt, or anxiety are driving a habit that you wish to release, this therapy is designed to help you.

What happens after the sessions?

Our goal is to empower you for the long term, not just during our sessions. Upon completion of the therapy, you will be equipped with a comprehensive set of Aftercare Tools. This includes a personalised daily self-hypnosis routine and powerful anchoring techniques, giving you the practical skills to manage stress and maintain your progress in the real world.

Will I be made to relive trauma?

No, you will not. We understand that re-experiencing traumatic events can be incredibly distressing. That is why we utilise advanced NLP techniques, such as Visual-Kinesthetic Dissociation. This approach allows you to observe past events safely from a distance—much like watching a movie on a screen. This method is designed to strip away the emotional pain associated with the memory, allowing you to process it without having to relive the experience directly.

Is this safe?

Yes, absolutely. In DRT, my first priority is to create a safe and supportive space for you. Before we do any deep work, we will always establish a strong foundation of safety and rapport. I will teach you grounding techniques and help you create mental "anchors," which are simple tools you can use to instantly access a feeling of calm and control whenever you need to.

Clinical Hypnotherapist & Nutritional Therapist specialising in PTSD, anxiety, addictions and medical hypnotherapy for pain & IBS.
Mission: help 20,000 people reclaim calm, confidence and control with structured, outcome-tracked programmes.
Location: Online across Ireland, the UK & Europe.