What is the Six STEPS program?
The Six STEPS program offers six sessions focussing on Support, Tools, Empathy, Practical tips and Self-Care to help you cope with someone else’s substance use. The program focuses on you and your life, not the person you support. The program aims to help you develop more effective coping strategies and improve well-being.
Six STEPS is facilitated by volunteers who have experienced their own family member's substance use.
We recommend attending a Family Support Group, and/or speaking to a counsellor before attending the Six STEPS program, as it is structured and may not provide you with as much time as you need to share your story.
Six STEPS is for attendees aged 18 and over.
Program structure
Each Six STEPS program is a closed group, with a two-hour session each week, for six weeks.
The program assists participants to:
- Consider different ways of coping.
- Set healthy boundaries.
- Challenge unhelpful thinking.
- Improve communication.
- Talk to like-minded people who understand what you’re going through.
Facilitators have a lived experience of supporting someone affected by alcohol and/or other drug use and they use their own experiences to understand and assist you to move in a positive direction.
Six STEPS is available online via Microsoft Teams as well as face to face in various locations.
Is the Six STEPS program right for you?
We recommend attending a Family Support Group or some individual counselling sessions prior to attending our program to allow time to talk through your story. By examining these issues and experiences prior to the program you are more likely to engage with the program's topics and exercises and therefore get the best out of it.
To help you reflect on whether this program is a good fit for you right now, we invite you to think about the following questions:
• Has your life changed drastically since supporting your family member and their substance use? Have you run out of ideas to support them, as nothing you do seems to work?
• Are you ready to try something new by prioritising your own needs while maintaining connection to the person you support?
• Have you previously attended either one to one counselling or a support group in relation to this situation?
If you've answered no to any of these questions, or if you're still not sure whether this program is right for you then it's a good idea to speak to one of our facilitators prior to registering to ensure this is the right program for you.
Go to Find Support Groups and Programs to find out more!
Page last updated25 February 2026
