Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to present the Impulsive Lifestyle Counseling (ILC) program, a time-limited psychoeducational approach to increasing patient awareness of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) and its consequences. Design/methodology/approach - This paper describes the ILC program, a program developed as an add-on to treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs), gives examples of issues and patient-counselor interactions in the ILC sessions. Findings - During the ILC sessions the patients engaged with the counselors in diverse ways, reflecting the varying levels of psychopathology and overall functioning and barriers and incentive for lifestyle changes. Originality/value - Patients with SUD and comorbid ASPD can receive better care with brief counseling that focusses on antisocial behavior and thinking. More diverse evidence-based treatments are needed for this disorder.