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Online Addiction Counselling · Chichester
Online Addiction Counselling in Chichester
Online addiction counselling for Chichester, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Chichester, from the cathedral quarter and the city centre to the streets around the Market Cross, 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 Chichester
Addiction Counselling for Chichester, at a glance
- Areas covered online
- All of Chichester: from the cathedral quarter and the city centre to Summersdale, Whyke and nearby Bognor
- Known for
- The cathedral, the Market Cross and the harbour
- Region
- London & South East (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 Chichester
Why people in Chichester reach out
Chichester is an elegant cathedral city near the harbour and the Downs, and its calm, affluent feel can make difficulties harder to voice. In a place where appearances matter and where many residents are retired or self-employed, low mood, anxiety and isolation can go unspoken for a long time before anyone reaches out.
Chichester is an elegant cathedral city where the Market Cross, the Festival Theatre and the harbour set a refined, unhurried tone, with the South Downs on one side and the tidal creeks of the harbour on the other. Its working life gathers around the University of Chichester, the theatre and its festival, the Goodwood estate up on the Downs, and a good many self-employed and retired residents in Summersdale, Whyke and out towards Fishbourne. That calm and comfortable feel can, though, make difficulty harder to voice. Where appearances carry weight and independence is prized, low mood, anxiety and loneliness can go unspoken for a long while. Somewhere impartial to set that down, without judgement or local ties, can quietly lift a great deal.
On the coast the nearest specialist can be a long way inland; a secure video link closes that distance completely.
Chichester is a cathedral city home to the University of Chichester, Chichester Festival Theatre and St Richard's Hospital.
Areas covered
Neighbourhoods in and around Chichester
SummersdaleWhykeFishbourneParklandsPortfieldGraylingwellDonningtonFishbourne Road
Wherever you are in Chichester, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.
The local picture
The local picture in Chichester
These figures are local context from official sources, not a description of you, but they show the scale of what people in and around Chichester 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 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.
Chichester lies at the western edge of Sussex, and its rail and road links can make trips to appointments elsewhere slow going. Online sessions remove the journey: you meet securely from home whenever suits your week. The practice room is in Hove, further along the coast if you would like to meet in person, but for Chichester the work is done online, discreetly and without any need to travel across the county.
Book a free 15-minute callWhat I help with
How online addiction counselling in Chichester 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 Chichester
Why people in Chichester come for addiction counselling
Chichester's elegant, unhurried calm can make difficulty hard to voice, and where appearances carry weight and independence is prized, an addiction can go unspoken for a long while. Among the self-employed and retired residents who set much of the city's tone, coping alone is often second nature, which means a struggle can stay hidden well past the point it should. Whatever has taken hold, you can set it down here without judgement or local ties. Sessions are held securely online with a male counsellor whose room is in Hove, further along the coast, so there is no room in the city to walk into and no one need know. You go entirely at your own pace.
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 Chichester
My online counselling sits alongside the help available locally. In Chichester, 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.
Chichester questions
Online Addiction Counselling in Chichester: common questions
Can I get online addiction counselling if I live in Chichester?
Yes. I work with people right across Chichester, from the cathedral quarter and the city centre outwards, and anywhere else in London & South East, 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.
I'm self-employed and used to just getting on with things. Is it worth talking to someone?
Yes. Many self-employed and retired people in Chichester are used to coping alone, which can mean struggles go unspoken for a long time. Online sessions are private and flexible around your own diary, giving you a confidential space to be honest without anyone in the city knowing.
How soon can I start online addiction counselling in Chichester?
Usually within a week. After a free 15-minute consultation we set a regular time. Chichester lies at the western edge of Sussex, where trips to appointments elsewhere can be slow going, so online helps: you join securely from home in Summersdale, Whyke or near the cathedral quarter, without travel.
What are the fees in Chichester, and can I get addiction counselling on the NHS?
Privately, £80 for 60 minutes, £100 for 90 and £120 for 120, after a free 15-minute consultation. For free NHS support, your GP can refer you and West Sussex's council-funded drug and alcohol service accepts self-referrals, separate from this private practice.
In a place where appearances matter, is online more discreet in Chichester?
For many it is. Where independence is prized and low mood can go unspoken, an online session, without local ties or a waiting room, lets you set things down privately. Evening slots are available. The room is in Hove, along the coast, if you would ever prefer to meet in person.
I'm self-employed and used to just getting on with things. Is it worth talking to someone?
Yes. Many self-employed and retired people in Chichester are used to coping alone, which can mean struggles go unspoken for a long time. Online sessions are private and flexible around your own diary, giving you a confidential space to be honest without anyone in the city knowing.
Online Addiction Counselling in Chichester, 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 London & South East: Portsmouth, Crawley, Horsham. See all of London & South East.
All counselling & therapy in Chichester: 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.