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Online Addiction Counselling · Ipswich
Online Addiction Counselling in Ipswich
Online addiction counselling for Ipswich, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Ipswich, from the waterfront and the centre to the streets around the docks, 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 Ipswich
Addiction Counselling for Ipswich, at a glance
- Areas covered online
- All of Ipswich: from the waterfront and the centre to Gainsborough, Whitton and Chantry
- Known for
- The historic waterfront, the docks and the river Orwell
- Region
- East of England (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 Ipswich
Why people in Ipswich reach out
Ipswich is Suffolk's county town, a port on the Orwell that has reshaped its old docks and weathered the decline of its industries. Insecure work, money worries and the distance from larger cities all shape the pressures people here carry.
Ipswich grew as a port on the Orwell, and the water still shapes it. The old Wet Dock has become the Waterfront, its warehouses turned to flats, bars and the University of Suffolk, while the great span of the Orwell Bridge carries the traffic that once came by sea. Around Portman Road the town keeps its footballing heart, and Christchurch Park gives the centre its green lungs. Out in Gainsborough, Whitton and Chantry, this is an ordinary working town rather than a showpiece, one that has weathered the fading of its older industries. That mix of pride and quiet hardship, and the sense of sitting off the main routes in a corner of Suffolk, can leave people carrying more than they let on.
Where work follows shifts and the rhythm of the docks, online sessions bend around unsociable hours rather than asking you to fit your life around them.
Ipswich is Suffolk's county town and a working port on the Orwell, home to the University of Suffolk and Ipswich Hospital (East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust); NHS mental health services are provided by Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.
Areas covered
Neighbourhoods in and around Ipswich
GainsboroughWhittonChantryStokeCaliforniaRushmereCastle HillPriory HeathMaidenhallPinewood
Wherever you are in Ipswich, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.
The local picture
The local picture in Ipswich
These figures are local context from official sources, not a description of you, but they show the scale of what people in and around Ipswich are living with, and why local support matters.
the rate of hospital admissions for alcohol-related conditions (narrow definition) was 522.9 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 3.8 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.
I am based in Hove and see people across Ipswich and the wider Suffolk area online, by video or telephone, rather than from a consulting room in town. Wherever you are, from the Waterfront to Gainsborough or a village beyond the ring road, sessions come to you. All that is needed is a private space and a reliable connection, and we can arrange times that fit around work, family and the rest of the week.
Book a free 15-minute callWhat I help with
How online addiction counselling in Ipswich 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 Ipswich
Why people in Ipswich come for addiction counselling
Ipswich is an ordinary working town that has weathered the fading of its older industries, and quiet hardship here can leave people carrying more than they let on. When addiction takes hold, whether it is alcohol, drugs, gambling or another compulsion, the pride of a town that gets on with things can make it hard to say so out loud. Working online from Hove, I offer a confidential, judgement-free hour wherever you are, from the Waterfront to Gainsborough or a village beyond the ring road. No clinic to visit and no waiting room, just a private space to look honestly at what has taken hold, at a pace that suits you.
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 Ipswich
My online counselling sits alongside the help available locally. In Ipswich, free local drug and alcohol support is available through Healthy Suffolk (Suffolk County Council) substance use 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.
Ipswich questions
Online Addiction Counselling in Ipswich: common questions
Can I get online addiction counselling if I live in Ipswich?
Yes. I work with people right across Ipswich, from the waterfront and the centre outwards, and anywhere else in East of England, 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.
Do you have a room in Ipswich I would come to?
No, I work entirely online from Hove, by secure video or phone. For Ipswich that means no travel across town and no waiting room; you take part from home or another private space, at a time that fits around work and family.
How soon can I begin online addiction counselling in Ipswich?
Usually within a week. I am based in Hove and work with people across Ipswich and wider Suffolk by video and phone, so there is no local waiting list. We start with a free 15-minute consultation, then arrange a first session around work and family.
What are your fees, and how do they compare with NHS addiction support in Ipswich?
I charge £80 for 60 minutes, £100 for 90 and £120 for 120, with a free 15-minute consultation first. NHS addiction services in Ipswich are free but can involve a wait, while private online work with me is not restricted to what is available locally and can start soon.
Do you have a room in Ipswich, or is addiction counselling online, and can you do evenings?
I work entirely online, by secure video or phone from Hove, rather than a room in town. For Ipswich that means no travel across town and no waiting room, and evening times are available. From the Waterfront to Gainsborough, you take part from a private space at home.
Do you have a room in Ipswich I would come to?
No, I work entirely online from Hove, by secure video or phone. For Ipswich that means you are not restricted to what is available locally, and there is no travel across town. You take part from home or another private space, at a time that fits around your work and family.
Online Addiction Counselling in Ipswich, 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 East of England: Colchester, Norwich, Chelmsford. See all of East of England.
All counselling & therapy in Ipswich: 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.