Online Addiction Counselling · Bangor

Online Addiction Counselling in Bangor

Online addiction counselling for Bangor, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Bangor, from the marina and the centre to the streets around the coastal path, with the same BACP-registered, confidential support as an in-person session, and no journey.

Online across the UKSecure videoFree 15-min consultation
BACP registered member25+ years of experienceLived experience
Bradley Riddell, BACP-registered counsellor offering online addiction counselling for Bangor, introducing his approach
ConfidentialA safe, private space
Person-centredThe therapy fits you

In and around Bangor

Addiction Counselling for Bangor, at a glance

Areas covered online
All of Bangor: from the marina and the centre to Ballyholme, Groomsport and Conlig
Known for
The marina, the coastal path and Belfast Lough
Region
Northern Ireland (Northern Ireland)
Local NHS / support route
Local council drug & alcohol service (see below)
Format
Secure video, UK-wide. In-person also available on the Sussex coast.

Life in Bangor

Why people in Bangor reach out

Bangor is a seaside town on the County Down coast, a commuter base for Belfast with a tourism trade that quietens in winter. The strain of commuting, seasonal work and the legacy of the past all shape the pressures people here carry.

Bangor curves around its marina on the County Down side of Belfast Lough, the largest town on the north Down coast and a favourite spot for a walk by the water. Ballyholme's long beach, the coastal path towards Groomsport and Donaghadee, Ward Park and the old Bangor Castle grounds give the place its easy seaside feel, while Pickie draws families to the front. The train into Belfast makes it a settled commuter base, and the summer brings visitors who thin out once the season turns. Now part of the Ards and North Down area, it mixes retired residents, young families and city workers along a shoreline of sailing boats, cafes and the steady grey water of the lough.

Bangor Marinathe North Down Coastal PathWard Park and Castle Parkthe Belfast commuter railway line

A seaside town can feel cut off once the season ends and the front goes quiet, so online support that does not depend on who happens to practise nearby matters here.

Bangor is the principal town of the Ards and North Down borough on the County Down coast and is served by the South Eastern HSC Trust.

Areas covered

Neighbourhoods in and around Bangor

BallyholmeGroomsportConligBloomfieldClandeboyeWhitehillRathgaelBryansburn

Wherever you are in Bangor, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.

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 live, 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.

How online sessions work

Sessions run over a secure, encrypted video link held to the same strict BACP confidentiality as meeting in person. After a free fifteen-minute call to check we are a good fit, you join each session from any private space using a phone, tablet or laptop, no software to install, no waiting room and no journey at either end.

Support in Bangor can be arranged without waiting for a space in Belfast. Sessions happen online, by secure video, across Northern Ireland, so you can talk from home near the marina or up in Ballyholme rather than travelling for an appointment. The counsellor is based in Hove and works UK-wide by video, not in person, which means help fits around the commute and the quieter winter months alike.

Book a free 15-minute call

What I help with

How online addiction counselling in Bangor can help

Alcohol

For when drinking has stopped feeling like a choice.

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 Bangor

Why people in Bangor come for addiction counselling

Bangor curves around its marina on the County Down coast, a commuter base whose tourism trade quietens once the season turns. Those long, still winters can be when a hidden addiction weighs heaviest, whether it fastens onto drink, gambling or something else. A seaside town at the edge of things can also make local help feel far off. Online counselling closes that distance by secure video from home, with no wait for a space in Belfast. From near the marina to Ballyholme or up in Bloomfield, you can begin honestly, in private, whatever the season and however quiet the town feels.

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 call

Drug, alcohol & addiction support in Bangor

My online counselling sits alongside the help available locally. In Bangor, your GP can refer you to local NHS-funded drug and alcohol services, and you can find your nearest one via the NHS “find a service” directory.

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 Lifeline free on 0808 808 8000. Lifeline is free on 0808 808 8000, and the Samaritans are on 116 123.

Bangor questions

Online Addiction Counselling in Bangor: common questions

Can I get online addiction counselling if I live in Bangor?

Yes. I work with people right across Bangor, from the marina and the centre outwards, and anywhere else in Northern Ireland, by secure video, no need to travel to Hove, and just as confidential as meeting in the room.

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.

Does being on the coast mean fewer services nearby?

It can, especially in winter. Online counselling closes that gap: the counsellor is based in Hove and works across Northern Ireland by secure video, so you can talk from home in Bangor whatever the season, without waiting for a space in Belfast.

How soon can I start addiction counselling in Bangor?

Usually within a week or two, and you will not wait for a local space to open. We begin with a free 15-minute consultation, then book a first full session. It is all online by secure video, so you can start from home near the marina or in Ballyholme.

How do your fees compare with NHS addiction services in Bangor?

NHS addiction support here runs through the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust and is free, though referrals can be slow. My fees are £80 for 60 minutes, £100 for 90 and £120 for 120, after a free 15-minute consultation, with no wait to begin.

Can I have evening online addiction sessions in Bangor?

Yes. Evening slots suit the commute into Belfast and the quiet winter months alike. Sessions are held by secure video from home, from the seafront to Groomsport or Conlig, so you need only a private room and a steady connection rather than a journey out.

Does the seaside setting mean fewer local services?

Being on the coast can make some support feel far off, especially in winter. Online sessions close that gap: the counsellor is based in Hove and works with people across Northern Ireland by secure video, so you can talk from home in Bangor whatever the season.

Online Addiction Counselling in Bangor, 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 online across Northern Ireland: Belfast, Newtownabbey. See all of Northern Ireland.

All counselling & therapy in Bangor: Substance Use · Drinking Problems · Anxiety · Depression · Relationship · Trauma · Counselling & Therapy · Psychotherapy.

Closer to the Sussex coast? The same addiction counselling is available in person in Brighton & Hove, or see all in-person areas.