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Online Addiction Counselling · Middlesbrough
Online Addiction Counselling in Middlesbrough
Online addiction counselling for Middlesbrough, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Middlesbrough, from the centre and the Transporter to the streets around the Transporter Bridge, 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 Middlesbrough
Addiction Counselling for Middlesbrough, at a glance
- Areas covered online
- All of Middlesbrough: from the centre and the Transporter to Linthorpe, Acklam and Ormesby
- Known for
- The Transporter Bridge, the Riverside and the Cleveland Hills
- 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 Middlesbrough
Why people in Middlesbrough reach out
Middlesbrough grew on iron, steel and chemicals on Teesside, and the decline of that heavy industry has left some of the sharpest deprivation in the country. Insecure work, money pressure and health inequality weigh heavily here, and pride can make asking for help feel hard.
Middlesbrough grew almost overnight in the nineteenth century as an iron and steel town on the south bank of the Tees, and its blue Transporter Bridge, still carrying cars across the river in a swinging gondola, remains the emblem of that industrial age. The Riverside Stadium sits by the water near the old dock, while in the centre mima, the modern art gallery, and Teesside University bring a different energy. Albert Park offers green space, and the town looks south to the Cleveland Hills and the edge of the North York Moors, with Roseberry Topping a landmark on the skyline. The chemical and process works strung along the Tees still shape the local economy, now amid the vast redevelopment of the Teesworks site.
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.
Middlesbrough is home to Teesside University and to South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the James Cook University Hospital, a major regional trauma centre; the town grew on the Teesside iron, steel and chemicals industries.
Areas covered
Neighbourhoods in and around Middlesbrough
LinthorpeAcklamOrmesbyMartonNunthorpeBerwick HillsGrove HillCoulby NewhamNorth OrmesbyGresham
Wherever you are in Middlesbrough, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.
The local picture
The local picture in Middlesbrough
These figures are local context from official sources, not a description of you, but they show the scale of what people in and around Middlesbrough are living with, and why local support matters.
the rate of hospital admissions for alcohol-related conditions (narrow definition) was 667.5 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 12.5 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.
I'm based in Hove, far to the south, and work with people in Middlesbrough online, by secure video, rather than in person. Distance is no obstacle by video, you meet from home in Linthorpe or Acklam, or wherever's quiet, without any trip across Teesside. We'd keep a steady weekly time that fits around shift patterns, work or family.
Book a free 15-minute callWhat I help with
How online addiction counselling in Middlesbrough 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 Middlesbrough
Why people in Middlesbrough come for addiction counselling
Middlesbrough grew almost overnight as an iron and steel town on the Tees, and in a place that has weathered heavy industrial change, an addiction can take hold quietly amid uncertainty. It often becomes the thing that gets you through. I'm Bradley, a counsellor based in Hove, far to the south, and I work with people across Middlesbrough by secure video rather than in person. Distance is no obstacle by video - you meet from home in Linthorpe or Acklam, or wherever's quiet, without any trip across Teesside. We keep a steady weekly time around shifts, work or family, and work without judgement on easing the habit's grip.
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 Middlesbrough
My online counselling sits alongside the help available locally. In Middlesbrough, free local drug and alcohol support is available through Middlesbrough 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.
Middlesbrough questions
Online Addiction Counselling in Middlesbrough: common questions
Can I get online addiction counselling if I live in Middlesbrough?
Yes. I work with people right across Middlesbrough, from the centre and the Transporter 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.
Are you actually based in Middlesbrough?
No. I work from Hove and see Middlesbrough clients by secure video call. Being hundreds of miles away makes no difference online - sessions come to you at home rather than needing a trip across Teesside, which is often easier to keep up week to week.
Can I start addiction counselling in Middlesbrough soon?
Yes. I'm Bradley Riddell, a counsellor based in Hove, and I see people across Middlesbrough 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 Middlesbrough, 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 Middlesbrough 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 Middlesbrough?
For Middlesbrough 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 Linthorpe or Acklam 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 on Teesside?
No. I work from Hove and see Middlesbrough clients by secure video call rather than face to face. Being at a distance makes no difference online, sessions come to you at home, which many find easier to keep up than travelling to an appointment across town.
I work shifts in the process industry, will that fit?
Yes. Because sessions are online, we can find a time that works around rotas and awkward hours, and moving a video session when a shift changes is far simpler than rearranging a journey. We'd aim for a regular slot and flex it when needed.
Online Addiction Counselling in Middlesbrough, 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: Darlington, Sunderland, Durham. See all of Yorkshire & North East.
All counselling & therapy in Middlesbrough: 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.