Alcohol
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Addiction Counselling · Ditchling
Addiction Counselling in Ditchling
Addiction Counselling for Ditchling and the surrounding area, in person or online. Ditchling is a beautiful Downs village beneath Ditchling Beacon, long associated with artists and craftspeople. From my room in nearby Hove I offer a calm, confidential space to do this work.
BACP registered member25+ years of experienceLived experience
ConfidentialA safe, private space
Person-centredThe therapy fits you
In and around Ditchling
Addiction Counselling for Ditchling, at a glance
- Known for
- Ditchling Beacon, the village pond and the Ditchling Museum of Art and Craft
- Area
- Lewes & Mid Sussex, East/West Sussex
- Getting to the Hove room
- From Ditchling it is around twenty minutes over or around the Downs into Brighton and on to the Hove office.
- Local NHS / support route
- Local council drug & alcohol service (see below)
- Format
- In person at my private Hove room, or by secure video UK-wide.
Ditchling sits beneath Ditchling Beacon on the South Downs and has a long artistic heritage reflected in the Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft.
Life in Ditchling
Addiction Counselling for people in Ditchling
Ditchling is one of the loveliest villages on the northern Downs, its crossroads gathered around St Margaret's Church, the timber-framed Wings Place and the pond, with Ditchling Beacon rising steeply above. Long a home for artists and craftspeople, its heritage lives on in the Ditchling Museum of Art and Craft, and the surrounding lanes and downland draw walkers all year. It is a small, close village where people know one another well, and that closeness can make privacy feel important when something is troubling you. A confidential counselling room over or around the Downs in Hove offers a quiet, separate space to talk, and online sessions bring the same support to your door.
Areas covered
Neighbourhoods in and around Ditchling
The village crossroadsSouth StreetWest StreetEast End LaneLewes RoadBeacon RoadCommon Lane
Wherever you are in Ditchling, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.
The local picture
The local picture in Ditchling
These figures are local context from official sources, not a description of you, but they show the scale of what people in and around Ditchling are living with, and why local support matters.
the rate of hospital admissions for alcohol-related conditions (narrow definition) was 440.2 per 100,000 in 2023/24, below the England average of 504.1 per 100,000. Source: OHID Fingertips – Admission episodes for alcohol-related conditions (narrow) (2023/24).
the rate of deaths from drug misuse was 3.9 per 100,000 in 2022 - 24, below the England average of 5.8 per 100,000. Source: OHID Fingertips – Deaths from drug misuse (2022 - 24).
Local data last reviewed June 2026. Each figure shows the year and links to the official source it was read on.
The addiction counselling itself
Addiction counselling here treats the pain beneath the habit, not just the symptom, alcohol, drugs, gambling, food or behavioural, so recovery is something you grow into rather than force.
The approach is the same wherever you come from, so rather than repeat it on every page you can read it in full, the methods, what each session covers and fees, on the main addiction counselling page and on how I work.
Sessions in person or online
Sessions take place in a private, comfortable room at Intergen House on Western Road in central Hove, held to the strict BACP confidentiality you would expect. We begin with a free fifteen-minute call to check we are a good fit, and the same sessions are available by secure video if travelling is difficult or you would simply prefer it.
From Ditchling it is around twenty minutes by car over or around the Downs into Brighton and on to the Hove room, the nearest stations being at Hassocks or Burgess Hill for the train to Hove. There is parking near the room. When the journey feels like more than you want to manage, the same sessions are available online by secure video from home.
Book a free 15-minute callWhat I help with
How addiction counselling in Ditchling can help
Drugs and substances
Compassionate, confidential help with substance use.
Gambling
Breaking the cycle of compulsive gambling, guilt and debt.
Food and behavioural
Support for food and process addictions.
Affected by a loved one
Help for those living alongside someone's addiction.
The pain underneath
We treat the cause, not just the symptom.
Addiction Counselling in Ditchling
Why people in Ditchling come for addiction counselling
Ditchling, a beautiful Downs village beneath its Beacon and long associated with artists and craftspeople, is small, affluent and close-knit, a place where struggle can feel out of keeping with the surroundings and a hidden habit especially exposed. Whether it is gambling, drink or a substance, addiction counselling here offers a confidential space away from the village to look beneath the behaviour at the pain it soothes. My Hove room is around twenty minutes over or around the Downs into Brighton and on to Hove, with online sessions available too.
A free, unhurried first step
Not sure if it is right for you? A free fifteen-minute call is a no-obligation way to talk it through.
Book a free 15-minute callDrug, alcohol & addiction support in Ditchling
My counselling sits alongside the help available locally. In Ditchling, free local drug and alcohol support is available through West Sussex County Council's drug and alcohol support.
For confidential information and advice, FRANK (on 0300 123 6600) and Drinkline on 0300 123 1110 are free, and Alcoholics Anonymous and SMART Recovery run peer-support meetings you can find online.
Other local and national support verified for this area includes:
If you need urgent help now
This is not a crisis service. If anyone is in immediate danger call 999. For urgent mental health support, call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option. The Samaritans are free, day or night, on 116 123, or text SHOUT to 85258.
Ditchling questions
Addiction Counselling in Ditchling: common questions
Where do Ditchling sessions take place, and can I meet online instead?
In a private room at Intergen House on Western Road in central Hove. From Ditchling it is around twenty minutes over or around the Downs into Brighton and on to the Hove office. Every service is also available by secure video across the UK, so you can meet from any private space in Ditchling or blend the two.
Do I have to be abstinent before we start?
No. We begin wherever you are. The work is about understanding the need the behaviour has been meeting, not passing a test first.
Can you help with gambling or behavioural addictions, not just substances?
Yes. The same approach applies to gambling, food and other compulsive behaviours, because we work with the underlying pattern rather than only the substance.
Is it really confidential if I'm worried about people finding out?
Completely. Sessions are private, online means no waiting room, and everything is held under the BACP Ethical Framework.
Is it discreet, coming from a small village like Ditchling?
Yes. The room is in central Hove, well away from the village, with no shared waiting area, and online is an option too. Everything is confidential under the BACP framework.
How do I reach your Hove room from Ditchling for addiction counselling?
It is around twenty minutes by car over or around the Downs into Brighton and on to Hove, with the nearest stations at Hassocks or Burgess Hill for a direct train to Hove, and parking near the room. Book a free fifteen-minute consultation first on 07914 681995.
What are the fees, and is there free addiction help in Ditchling?
Sessions are £80 for sixty minutes, £100 for ninety and £120 for two hours, with a free first call. Ditchling is in West Sussex, so for free help you can self-refer to Change Grow Live West Sussex, the drug and alcohol service, without a GP.
Can addiction counselling be online or in the evening from Ditchling?
Yes. The drive over the Downs to Hove is manageable, with evening slots available, but secure video is there when travelling in is inconvenient. In a small village where people know one another well, many Ditchling clients value the privacy of working from home.
Does Ditchling have a station for getting to Hove?
Not in the village itself; the nearest stations are Hassocks and Burgess Hill, both a short drive away, with direct trains to Hove. By car the whole trip is around twenty minutes over the Downs. Many Ditchling clients also value online video sessions when travelling in is inconvenient.
Addiction Counselling in Ditchling, whenever you are ready
A free fifteen-minute call is the simplest place to start, no obligation, just a chance to see if we are the right fit.
Also available nearby: Hassocks, Lewes, Burgess Hill. See all areas I cover.
All counselling & therapy in Ditchling: Substance Use · Drinking Problems · Anxiety · Depression · Relationship · Trauma · Counselling & Therapy · Psychotherapy.
Prefer to meet remotely? The same addiction counselling is available online by secure video across the UK, or see online counselling by region.