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Online Addiction Counselling · Birmingham
Online Addiction Counselling in Birmingham
Online addiction counselling for Birmingham, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Birmingham, from the city centre and the Jewellery Quarter to the streets around the Bullring, with the same BACP-registered, confidential support as an in-person session, and no journey.
BACP registered member25+ years of experienceLived experience
ConfidentialA safe, private space
Person-centredThe therapy fits you
In and around Birmingham
Addiction Counselling for Birmingham, at a glance
- Areas covered online
- All of Birmingham: from the city centre and the Jewellery Quarter to Edgbaston, Moseley, Erdington and Handsworth
- Known for
- The Bullring, the canals and the Library of Birmingham
- Region
- Midlands (England)
- 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 Birmingham
Why people in Birmingham reach out
Birmingham is the UK's second city and one of its youngest and most diverse, and life here moves fast across very different communities. The pressures of a big city, money worries, crowded housing and the isolation that can come even in a crowd, all take a toll, and reaching out is not always easy.
Birmingham is the country's second city, and daily life here runs across very different worlds. There is the professional bustle of Colmore Row and Brindleyplace, the trades of the Jewellery Quarter, the creative energy of Digbeth and the Custard Factory, and the student populations of the University of Birmingham, Aston and BCU. Add the shift patterns of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, the retail crowds of the Bullring and Grand Central, and the tight-knit communities of Handsworth, Sparkhill and the Balti Triangle. For someone juggling long hours, a demanding commute or the quiet loneliness that a big city can bring, having a steady, confidential hour to think things through can matter a great deal.
With the academic year setting a relentless pace, online sessions flex around terms, deadlines and shift work rather than fighting them.
Birmingham is home to the University of Birmingham and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, one of the largest single-site hospitals in the UK, and HSBC UK has its national headquarters in the city centre.
Areas covered
Neighbourhoods in and around Birmingham
Jewellery QuarterEdgbastonMoseleyErdingtonHandsworthDigbethBournvilleKings HeathSelly OakHarborneSutton Coldfield
Wherever you are in Birmingham, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.
The local picture
The local picture in Birmingham
These figures are local context from official sources, not a description of you, but they show the scale of what people in and around Birmingham are living with, and why local support matters.
the rate of hospital admissions for alcohol-related conditions (narrow definition) was 552.2 per 100,000 in 2023/24, above 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 10 per 100,000 in 2022 - 24, above 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 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.
Birmingham is well connected, with New Street, Moor Street and Snow Hill stations, the expanding West Midlands Metro tram, and a dense bus network feeding in from the suburbs. Even so, crossing the city in rush hour eats into the day. Working together online removes that journey entirely. The counselling room itself is in Hove, and Birmingham is served by video sessions, so wherever you are in the city you can meet from somewhere private.
Book a free 15-minute callWhat I help with
How online addiction counselling in Birmingham 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 Birmingham
Why people in Birmingham come for addiction counselling
In a city the size of Birmingham, an addiction can take hold quietly, whether you are keeping long professional hours around Colmore Row, working the trades of the Jewellery Quarter, or studying at one of the big universities. The pace and the anonymity of a place this large can make a habit easy to hide and hard to face alone. Counselling with Bradley Riddell offers a steady, confidential hour by video to look at what is driving it, at your own pace. The room is in Hove, so wherever you are across the city, you meet from a private space at home rather than travelling in.
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 Birmingham
My online counselling sits alongside the help available locally. You can find your nearest free NHS-funded drug and alcohol service via the NHS “find a service” directory (search “Birmingham”).
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.
Birmingham questions
Online Addiction Counselling in Birmingham: common questions
Can I get online addiction counselling if I live in Birmingham?
Yes. I work with people right across Birmingham, from the city centre and the Jewellery Quarter outwards, and anywhere else in Midlands, 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.
Is online addiction counselling as effective as meeting in person?
Many people find it works well. Talking honestly matters more than the room you are in, and meeting by video from home can make it easier to open up. For Birmingham, sessions are online, so you get steady, confidential support without crossing the city.
How soon can I start addiction counselling in Birmingham?
Fairly quickly. Birmingham is served online, with the consulting room based in Hove, so there is no citywide waiting list to join. We usually begin with a free 15-minute consultation, then arrange your first full session at a time that suits, often within the same week.
What does private addiction counselling cost, and how does it compare to NHS help in Birmingham?
Sessions are £80 for 60 minutes, £100 for 90 and £120 for two hours, with a free 15-minute consultation first. NHS addiction support in Birmingham, through your GP or community services, is free but can involve a wait, while private work with me starts sooner and flexibly.
Can we meet in person, or are evening sessions possible for Birmingham?
The room is in Hove, so Birmingham is served online rather than face to face, which spares you the drive into the centre or a tram across town. Because it is all by video, appointments can often be arranged in the evening, suiting shifts at the Queen Elizabeth or long office days.
Can we meet at a counselling room in Birmingham?
The consulting room is in Hove, so Birmingham is served online rather than in person. For many people across the city that works out easier, with no drive into the centre or parking to sort. All you need is a private space and a reliable connection.
I work shifts at the hospital, can sessions fit around that?
Yes. Because everything is online, appointments can often be arranged outside the standard nine-to-five, which tends to suit people working rotas at the Queen Elizabeth or across the city's care and retail sectors. It is worth asking about times that fit your week.
Online Addiction Counselling in Birmingham, 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 Midlands: Solihull, Coventry, Wolverhampton. See all of Midlands.
All counselling & therapy in Birmingham: 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.