Ready to stop smoking?

You don’t have to do it alone.

Why stopping is hard, and why an integrated approach

Many people who smoke or vape have tried to stop before, often several times, without it lasting. That is not a sign of failure or weakness. Most people who eventually quit for good have made several attempts first, and each one builds toward success. This programme may look like a lot. It is deliberately thorough, and meant for someone who is serious about being a non-smoker. The effort is a worthwhile investment with little to lose, and everything to gain.

Most people who smoke or vape already want to stop. They know the risks: the raised chance of heart disease, stroke, lung disease and cancer, the cost, the loss of fitness and freedom, and the example set for children. What they are up against is not simply a bad habit, or a lack of willpower. Nicotine dependence works on three levels at once: it is physical (the body has adapted to nicotine), psychological (smoking is tied to stress, emotion and identity), and habitual (it is woven into daily routines and triggers). It takes root in a person’s body, their daily routines and their social environment.

A treatment that targets only one of these levels tends to fail. This programme is built to address all three together, which is why it combines medical support and psychosocial therapy (or coaching) in one coordinated model, with hypnotherapy available as an option.

The approach at a glance

Psychosocial therapy/coaching. The core of the programme and the therapist’s primary work. Psychosocial therapy/coaching helps the client  to create realistic goals and outcomes, build a clear picture of life without smoking, strategise to break habitual patterns, draw on strengths they already have, and optimise social support. Practical behavioural work sits here too: identifying triggers, building coping plans, setting a quit date and preventing relapse.

Medical treatment. Delivered by the client’s doctor or a doctor familiar with the programme. Depending on the level of dependence, this may include nicotine replacement therapy (typically a patch combined with a short-acting form such as gum or lozenge), varenicline, or bupropion, together with medical oversight of withdrawal and any other health considerations. The therapist does not prescribe; the doctor leads this pillar entirely.

Hypnotherapy (optional). Offered as an optional component for clients who are drawn to mind-body approaches. Using solution-focused hypnotherapy, the client is guided to access their own internal resources (calm, confidence and a sense of control) and to mentally rehearse themselves as a non-smoker in the situations that once triggered smoking. It grows out of the psychosocial work and deepens it. Clients who prefer not to use hypnotherapy proceed with the medical and psychosocial elements alone – this is not a disadvantage, it is a matter of what suits each individual person best.

The programme in practice

The programme is delivered over a series of sessions rather than a single visit, because stopping a long-established habit realistically takes more than one or two sessions. It begins with a minimum of four sessions, held weekly over about a month. A typical path runs from an initial intake and assessment, through preparation and a chosen quit date, into the active quit phase (optionally supported by hypnotherapy), and on to consolidation and relapse prevention. The number of sessions is tailored to the individual and their level of dependence, and where medication is involved the timing is coordinated with the doctor.

Fees

Most medical aid schemes treat smoking cessation as a lifestyle service rather than a medical condition, and therefore do not cover these services.

It may be useful to weigh the cost of the programme against the cost of smoking per month, per year, and potentially a lifetime. The cost of the programme is often recovered within 2 – 3 months of no smoking, and from that point on forward it becomes a monthly saving, in addition to a lifetime’s health benefits.

About me

I’m Werner van der Westhuizen, a clinical social worker in private practice in Walmer, Gqeberha. I hold master’s degrees in both clinical social work and psychology, am a certified hypnotherapist, and am registered with the South African Council for Social Service Professions. My approach is practical, warm and solution-focused. I work with you as a person, not a problem, drawing on your own strengths and working closely with your doctor so that you are supported from every side. Sessions are available in English and Afrikaans.