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Online Addiction Counselling · London
Online Addiction Counselling in London
Online addiction counselling for London, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across London, from the inner boroughs to the streets around the City, 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 London
Addiction Counselling for London, at a glance
- Areas covered online
- All of London: from the inner boroughs to the outer suburbs, Zone 1 out to the edges of the M25
- Known for
- The City, the West End, the river and the great parks
- 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 London
Why people in London reach out
London moves fast and rarely pauses. Long hours, high housing costs and crowded commutes leave little room to stop and feel, and the sheer scale of the city can be isolating even when you are never really alone. Time and privacy are the scarce commodities here, which is exactly why a confidential hour that comes to you, rather than one you have to cross the capital for, so often makes the difference.
Life in London is lived at full tilt, whether you are trading in the City, building something in the studios around Shoreditch, nursing at Guy's and St Thomas', or teaching in one of the great universities. The Tube and the Elizabeth line stitch the boroughs together, yet the distance between people can feel vast, from the terraces of Hackney and Brixton to the towers of Canary Wharf. Rent swallows wages, the working day bleeds into the evening, and the parks and the river offer only brief respite. When so much energy goes into simply keeping up, it becomes easy to lose track of how you are really doing, and a private hour to think can feel like a rare luxury worth protecting.
Capital-city life is exhilarating and exhausting at once, with time and privacy always short; an hour that comes to you is often what makes therapy possible.
London is served by major teaching hospitals and universities (UCL, King's College London, Imperial) and the City of London financial district; mental-health and addiction provision is commissioned separately by each of the 32 boroughs.
Areas covered
Neighbourhoods in and around London
IslingtonCamdenHackneyShoreditchBrixtonCroydonEalingGreenwichCanary WharfWandsworthWalthamstow
Wherever you are in London, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.
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.
Getting across London for anything is its own undertaking, with journeys measured in changes and delays rather than distance. That is the quiet appeal of working online: the session comes to you, at home or on a lunch break, with no cross-city trek at either end. The practice room itself is in Hove, a straightforward train down from the London terminals if you would ever prefer to meet in person on the Sussex coast, but for most Londoners the work is done securely online.
Book a free 15-minute callWhat I help with
How online addiction counselling in London 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 London
Why people in London come for addiction counselling
In a city that never quite lets you stop, an addiction can hide in plain sight for years, folded into the long hours, the after-work drinks and the sheer pace of the capital. Whatever the habit has become for you, whether it steadies the nerves before a City meeting or fills an empty flat at the end of a late commute, you can look at it here without crossing London to do so. Sessions are held securely online with a male counsellor whose room is in Hove, so the hour comes to you, at home or on a break. There is no waiting room to be recognised in, and no judgement about how long it has gone on.
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 London
My online counselling sits alongside the help available locally. You can find your nearest free NHS-funded drug and alcohol service via the NHS “find a service” directory (search “London”).
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.
London questions
Online Addiction Counselling in London: common questions
Can I get online addiction counselling if I live in London?
Yes. I work with people right across London, from the inner boroughs 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.
How do I fit addiction counselling around a demanding London job?
Because nothing needs travelling to, sessions can sit in the early morning, a lunch break or the evening once you are home. We settle on a regular time that survives late finishes and busy weeks, so the support stays steady even when the diary does not.
How soon can I begin online addiction counselling if I live in London?
Usually within a week. After a free 15-minute consultation to talk through what you are struggling with, we agree a regular time. Because sessions come to you online, there is no cross-London journey and no local waiting list to join, so people across the boroughs can start quickly.
What does addiction counselling cost in London, and can I get it on the NHS?
Privately, sessions are £80 for 60 minutes, £100 for 90 minutes and £120 for 120 minutes, with a free 15-minute consultation first. On the NHS, your GP can refer you, and every London borough funds a free local drug and alcohol service you can usually self-refer to.
I work long hours in the City. Is this online, and are there evening slots?
It is held securely online, which suits a demanding London week better than crossing town after work. Evening appointments are often the most practical around early starts and late finishes. The room itself is in Hove, a train from the London terminals, if you ever prefer to meet in person.
I work long hours in the City. Can online sessions fit around a London working week?
Yes. Because there is no journey across town to factor in, sessions can be arranged around early starts and late finishes, taken from home or a quiet room at work. Evening slots are often the most practical for people juggling demanding roles in the capital.
Is it genuinely private if I share a flat or house?
It usually is. We find a time when you have the place to yourself, and a quiet corner with headphones is normally enough. Many people in London's shared housing find an online session easier to keep private than sitting in a local waiting room where they might be recognised.
Online Addiction Counselling in London, 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: Watford, Slough, Reading, Guildford. See all of London & South East.
All counselling & therapy in London: 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.