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Online Addiction Counselling · Blackpool
Online Addiction Counselling in Blackpool
Online addiction counselling for Blackpool, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Blackpool, from the Golden Mile and the Tower to the streets around the Pleasure Beach, 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 Blackpool
Addiction Counselling for Blackpool, at a glance
- Areas covered online
- All of Blackpool: from the Golden Mile and the Tower to Bispham, Marton and Layton
- Known for
- The Tower, the Pleasure Beach and the illuminations
- Region
- North West (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 Blackpool
Why people in Blackpool reach out
Blackpool is Britain's best-known seaside resort and also home to some of the most acute deprivation in the country. Seasonal and insecure work, transient housing and the long quiet winters once the crowds have gone leave real and lasting strain, and good support is badly stretched.
Blackpool is a place of bright lights and long memories. The Tower still stands over the Golden Mile, the trams run up the front to Bispham and Cleveleys, and the Illuminations draw the crowds long after other resorts have shut for the year. Behind the seafront, ordinary neighbourhoods like Marton, Layton and Grange Park get on with life away from the visitors. The Pleasure Beach and the Winter Gardens hold generations of family history, and there's a real fondness and resilience in the town. When the season ends and the promenade quietens, though, the winter can feel long, and it isn't always easy to find someone to talk things through with.
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.
Blackpool's economy centres on seaside tourism, including the Blackpool Tower and the Pleasure Beach, and its main hospital is Blackpool Victoria Hospital. The town has among the most acute deprivation in England.
Areas covered
Neighbourhoods in and around Blackpool
the seafront and town centreBisphamMartonLaytonSouth ShoreNorth ShoreGrange ParkSquires Gate
Wherever you are in Blackpool, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.
The local picture
The local picture in Blackpool
These figures are local context from official sources, not a description of you, but they show the scale of what people in and around Blackpool are living with, and why local support matters.
the rate of hospital admissions for alcohol-related conditions (narrow definition) was 797.5 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 21.3 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.
I work online from Hove, seeing people across Blackpool and the Fylde coast by secure video or phone. That means the session reaches you wherever you are, in South Shore, Bispham or over towards Cleveleys, with nothing to arrange but a quiet hour. For many, speaking from home feels more natural than sitting in a waiting room. We'd find a regular time that suits your week, whatever your hours, and keep it steady.
Book a free 15-minute callWhat I help with
How online addiction counselling in Blackpool 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 Blackpool
Why people in Blackpool come for addiction counselling
Blackpool is Britain's best-known resort, but behind the Golden Mile and the illuminations there's real strain; seasonal work, transient housing and long quiet winters once the crowds have gone. Addiction can take root in that stop-start rhythm, and local support is badly stretched. I'm Bradley Riddell, a counsellor based in Hove, and I work with people across Blackpool online, by secure video or phone. From South Shore to Bispham, you don't wait for a slot to free up locally; we meet in confidence, on your terms, with nothing to travel to and no season to work around.
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 Blackpool
My online counselling sits alongside the help available locally. In Blackpool, free local drug and alcohol support is available through Blackpool Council's drugs support (Healthier Blackpool).
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.
Blackpool questions
Online Addiction Counselling in Blackpool: common questions
Can I get online addiction counselling if I live in Blackpool?
Yes. I work with people right across Blackpool, from the Golden Mile and the Tower outwards, and anywhere else in North West, 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.
Local services near me are full. Can you help sooner?
Often, yes. Because I work online and privately, I'm not tied to Blackpool's waiting lists. We can usually arrange a first session before long, and meet regularly from there, so you're not left waiting through a difficult stretch for support to become available.
How soon can I start addiction counselling in Blackpool online?
Usually within a week. We begin with a free 15-minute consultation, then arrange your first session by secure video or phone. I am based in Hove and work across Blackpool and the Fylde coast online, from South Shore to Bispham, so there is no clinic wait to join.
How do your fees compare with NHS addiction support in Blackpool?
NHS Talking Therapies and services through Blackpool Victoria Hospital are free, though waits vary. Privately with me it is a free 15-minute consultation, then GBP 80 for 60 minutes, GBP 100 for 90 and GBP 120 for 120 minutes, all clearly set.
Do you work in person in Blackpool, and can sessions fit seasonal hours?
No, all Blackpool work is online from my Hove room. That suits seasonal and hospitality hours well, since there is no travel and we can shift sessions to fit changing shifts. Evening and quieter daytime slots are usually available through the year.
Does online counselling work if my hours change with the season?
Yes. Because we meet online, we can move sessions to fit shifting shifts and seasonal work more easily than a fixed clinic appointment allows. We'd aim for a steady weekly time where we can, and adjust when the calendar demands it, so support stays there through the quieter months too.
Online Addiction Counselling in Blackpool, 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 North West: Preston, Lancaster. See all of North West.
All counselling & therapy in Blackpool: 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.