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Online Addiction Counselling · Leeds
Online Addiction Counselling in Leeds
Online addiction counselling for Leeds, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Leeds, from the centre and the waterfront to the streets around the arcades, 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 Leeds
Addiction Counselling for Leeds, at a glance
- Areas covered online
- All of Leeds: from the centre and the waterfront to Headingley, Chapeltown, Armley and Roundhay
- Known for
- The arcades, the waterfront and the universities
- Region
- Yorkshire & North 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 Leeds
Why people in Leeds reach out
Leeds is the financial and cultural capital of West Yorkshire, a fast-growing city of finance, law and two big universities. The pace of professional life, rising costs and the gap between its prosperous and its struggling neighbourhoods all take a toll, and the busy centre can hide a great deal of private strain.
Leeds is the commercial and cultural heart of West Yorkshire, a city of Victorian arcades like the County Arcade and Victoria Quarter, a revived waterfront around Granary Wharf and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, and a compact centre ringed by red-brick terraces. The financial and legal district around Park Row and Wellington Place sits a short walk from the two universities and the student streets of Hyde Park and Headingley. Channel 4 has made its national home here, and the railway station is among the busiest outside London, feeding the M1 and M62 that thread out towards Bradford and the wider county. Beyond the centre, leafy Roundhay and its lake give way to Otley, Wetherby and the edge of the Dales.
With the academic year setting a relentless pace, online sessions flex around terms, deadlines and shift work rather than fighting them.
Leeds is home to the University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett University and to Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs St James's University Hospital and Leeds General Infirmary; it is also one of the UK's largest financial and legal centres outside London.
Areas covered
Neighbourhoods in and around Leeds
HeadingleyHyde ParkChapel AllertonRoundhayKirkstallMeanwoodHorsforthArmleyBeestonHolbeckMorleyPudsey
Wherever you are in Leeds, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.
The local picture
The local picture in Leeds
These figures are local context from official sources, not a description of you, but they show the scale of what people in and around Leeds are living with, and why local support matters.
the rate of hospital admissions for alcohol-related conditions (narrow definition) was 443.7 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 9.3 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 from a base in Hove, on the south coast, and see people across Leeds by secure video call rather than from a room in the city. For a busy Leeds working week that often suits well: there's no cross-city trip or parking to arrange around the appointment, and we'd agree a regular slot you can join from home, from the office at Wellington Place, or wherever you can speak privately.
Book a free 15-minute callWhat I help with
How online addiction counselling in Leeds 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 Leeds
Why people in Leeds come for addiction counselling
Addiction rarely announces itself in a city like Leeds, where the pace of finance, law and two big universities keeps everyone moving. Behind the arcades and the offices at Wellington Place, a habit can take hold quietly, becoming the thing that gets you through demanding weeks. I'm Bradley, a counsellor based in Hove, and I work with people across Leeds by secure video rather than from a room in the city. That means no cross-city trip and no waiting room; we agree a regular, confidential slot you can keep from home or wherever you can speak privately, and we work 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 Leeds
My online counselling sits alongside the help available locally. In Leeds, free local drug and alcohol support is available through Leeds City Council's Forward Leeds drug and alcohol service.
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.
Leeds questions
Online Addiction Counselling in Leeds: common questions
Can I get online addiction counselling if I live in Leeds?
Yes. I work with people right across Leeds, from the centre and the waterfront outwards, and anywhere else in Yorkshire & North 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.
Is online addiction counselling as effective as meeting in person?
For many people, yes. What matters most is the relationship and consistency, and video allows both without the barrier of travelling across Leeds. You can talk from home or a private space, which often makes it easier to keep sessions regular and to speak openly.
Can I start addiction counselling in Leeds soon?
Yes. I'm Bradley Riddell, a counsellor based in Hove, and I see people across Leeds online rather than from a room in the city. We begin with a free 15-minute consultation, then set a regular weekly slot for addiction support, usually starting within a week or two once you feel ready.
What do you charge for addiction counselling in Leeds, and is there an NHS option?
My fees are 80 pounds for a 60-minute session, 100 pounds for 90 minutes and 120 pounds for two hours, after a free 15-minute consultation. In Leeds you can also self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies or ask your GP; that route is free, though waits for addiction help vary, so private work often starts sooner.
Do you offer in-person or evening addiction counselling in Leeds?
For Leeds it is online rather than in person, since my room is in Hove on the south coast. Many find secure video suits addiction work well, joining from home in Headingley or Roundhay without a commute. I hold some daytime and early-evening slots, so we can usually find a regular time that fits.
Do you offer counselling in person in Leeds?
No. I'm based in Hove and work with people across Leeds by secure video call rather than from a room in the city. For many that suits a busy Leeds working week well, since there's no cross-city trip or parking to arrange around the appointment.
I work in the city centre, how would sessions fit around that?
Sessions happen online, so you can join from home, from a quiet room, or from wherever you can speak privately, without travelling into the centre or losing time to the commute. We'd agree a regular weekly slot that works around your week in Leeds.
Online Addiction Counselling in Leeds, 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 Yorkshire & North East: Bradford, Wakefield, Sheffield. See all of Yorkshire & North East.
All counselling & therapy in Leeds: 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.