Alcohol
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Online Addiction Counselling · Leicester
Online Addiction Counselling in Leicester
Online addiction counselling for Leicester, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Leicester, from the centre and the Cultural Quarter to the streets around the market, 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 Leicester
Addiction Counselling for Leicester, at a glance
- Areas covered online
- All of Leicester: from the centre and the Cultural Quarter to Belgrave, Highfields and Clarendon Park
- Known for
- The market, the King Richard III centre and the universities
- 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 Leicester
Why people in Leicester reach out
Leicester is one of the most diverse cities in the country, a place of many communities living closely together. The pressures of city life, money, housing and the work of holding family and tradition alongside modern life, can build quietly, and privacy can matter all the more in close-knit communities.
Leicester is one of Britain's most diverse cities, where many communities live closely together. Belgrave Road's Golden Mile lights up for Diwali, the covered market has traded for centuries, and the discovery of Richard III under a car park put the city on the world's front pages. There are two big universities in the University of Leicester and De Montfort, a Cultural Quarter around Curve and the Phoenix, and a textiles and food trade that still employs many. Amid the closeness of family and tradition and the everyday pressures of city life, a private, unhurried hour to talk something through can be a real help, especially where discretion matters.
With the academic year setting a relentless pace, online sessions flex around terms, deadlines and shift work rather than fighting them.
Leicester is home to the University of Leicester and De Montfort University, and Leicester Royal Infirmary is one of the busiest emergency departments in the country.
Areas covered
Neighbourhoods in and around Leicester
BelgraveHighfieldsClarendon ParkEvingtonKnightonAylestoneBraunstoneStoneygateWestcotesOadby
Wherever you are in Leicester, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.
The local picture
The local picture in Leicester
These figures are local context from official sources, not a description of you, but they show the scale of what people in and around Leicester are living with, and why local support matters.
the rate of hospital admissions for alcohol-related conditions (narrow definition) was 520.7 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 6.5 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.
Leicester sits on the Midland Main Line, with the station roughly an hour and a quarter from London St Pancras and quick links to Nottingham and Derby, while the M1 and M69 ring the city. Buses gather at the Haymarket and St Margaret's. For online work none of that applies. The counselling room is in Hove and Leicester is served by video, so you can meet from a private space at home rather than travelling anywhere.
Book a free 15-minute callWhat I help with
How online addiction counselling in Leicester 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 Leicester
Why people in Leicester come for addiction counselling
In a city as close-knit as Leicester, where many communities live and worship side by side, an addiction can feel especially hard to admit, and the fear of being seen or spoken about can keep people silent for a long time. Whether the pressure comes from family expectation, work in the textiles trade, or simply the weight of holding everything together, counselling offers a private, unhurried hour to face it. Bradley Riddell works with addiction online, without judgement. The room is in Hove and Leicester is served by video, so you meet from wherever feels most discreet, with no waiting room and no familiar faces.
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 Leicester
My online counselling sits alongside the help available locally. In Leicester, free local drug and alcohol support is available through Leicester City Council's alcohol and drugs 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.
Leicester questions
Online Addiction Counselling in Leicester: common questions
Can I get online addiction counselling if I live in Leicester?
Yes. I work with people right across Leicester, from the centre and the Cultural 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.
Will anyone find out I am having counselling?
No. Sessions are confidential, and because they take place online you can join from wherever feels most private. In close-knit communities that discretion often matters, and meeting by video means no waiting room and no chance of bumping into someone you know.
How soon can I start addiction counselling in Leicester?
Fairly quickly. Leicester is served online from the Hove consulting room, so there is no citywide waiting list. We start with a free 15-minute consultation, then arrange your first full session, often within the same week, at a time that fits around work or family.
How do private addiction counselling fees compare with NHS support in Leicester?
Sessions are £80 for 60 minutes, £100 for 90 and £120 for two hours, after a free 15-minute consultation. NHS addiction support in Leicester is free through your GP or community services but can mean waiting, while private work starts sooner and at your own pace.
Can we meet in person, or are evenings possible for Leicester?
The room is in Hove, so Leicester is served online rather than face to face. Because sessions are private and by video, there is no waiting room and no chance of meeting a familiar face, which matters in close communities. Evening appointments can often be arranged.
Is everything kept private?
Yes. Sessions are confidential, and because they take place online you can join from wherever feels most private to you. In close-knit communities that discretion often matters, and meeting by video means no waiting room and no chance of bumping into a familiar face.
Online Addiction Counselling in Leicester, 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: Nottingham, Coventry, Derby. See all of Midlands.
All counselling & therapy in Leicester: 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.