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Online Addiction Counselling · Newcastle upon Tyne
Online Addiction Counselling in Newcastle upon Tyne
Online addiction counselling for Newcastle upon Tyne, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Newcastle upon Tyne, from the Quayside and the centre to the streets around the bridges, 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 Newcastle upon Tyne
Addiction Counselling for Newcastle upon Tyne, at a glance
- Areas covered online
- All of Newcastle upon Tyne: from the Quayside and the centre to Jesmond, Heaton, Byker and Gosforth
- Known for
- The bridges, the Quayside and the two 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 Newcastle upon Tyne
Why people in Newcastle upon Tyne reach out
Newcastle is the lively heart of the North East, famous for its warmth, nightlife and fierce local pride, and that pride can make admitting to struggle feel hard. A region shaped by the loss of heavy industry, insecure work and money worries all weigh on people behind the good humour.
Newcastle rises from the north bank of the Tyne, its famous chain of bridges, the arched Tyne Bridge, the tilting Millennium Bridge, the High Level, linking it to Gateshead across the water. Richard Grainger's honey-stone streets sweep up Grey Street to the Monument at the heart of Grainger Town, and the Quayside below fills for its Sunday market. Two universities sit close to the centre, feeding the bars of the Bigg Market and the studios of the Ouseburn valley, while the Metro carries the city out to the coast and the airport. St James' Park stands right in the centre, home to a football club woven into local identity, and leafy Jesmond and Gosforth give way north towards Northumberland.
Where the old industries have gone and there is a strong culture of just getting on with things, online keeps support discreet and within reach however stretched the week.
Newcastle is home to Newcastle University and Northumbria University and to The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Royal Victoria Infirmary and the Freeman Hospital.
Areas covered
Neighbourhoods in and around Newcastle upon Tyne
JesmondHeatonBykerGosforthOuseburnFenhamSandyfordBenwellWalkerKenton
Wherever you are in Newcastle upon Tyne, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.
The local picture
The local picture in Newcastle upon Tyne
These figures are local context from official sources, not a description of you, but they show the scale of what people in and around Newcastle upon Tyne are living with, and why local support matters.
the rate of hospital admissions for alcohol-related conditions (narrow definition) was 676 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 11.2 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 Newcastle online, by secure video, rather than in person. The distance is exactly why video suits, you can meet from Jesmond, Heaton or wherever you are without any of it depending on my being on Tyneside. We'd hold a steady weekly time that fits around your work and week, and sessions come to you.
Book a free 15-minute callWhat I help with
How online addiction counselling in Newcastle upon Tyne 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 Newcastle upon Tyne
Why people in Newcastle upon Tyne come for addiction counselling
Newcastle's warmth and fierce local pride are famous, but that same pride can make admitting to an addiction feel hard - there's an expectation to be sound, to cope. Behind the good humour, a habit can take hold quietly. I'm Bradley, a counsellor based in Hove, and I work with people in Newcastle online, by secure video, rather than in person. The distance is exactly why video suits - you meet from Jesmond, Heaton or wherever you are without any of it depending on my being on Tyneside. We hold a steady weekly time and work, without judgement, on what the addiction is doing and how to change it.
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 Newcastle upon Tyne
My online counselling sits alongside the help available locally. In Newcastle upon Tyne, free local drug and alcohol support is available through Newcastle City Council's drugs 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.
Newcastle upon Tyne questions
Online Addiction Counselling in Newcastle upon Tyne: common questions
Can I get online addiction counselling if I live in Newcastle upon Tyne?
Yes. I work with people right across Newcastle upon Tyne, from the Quayside and the centre 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 in Newcastle?
No. I work from Hove and see Newcastle 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 to the Quayside or the centre, which is often easier to keep up week to week.
Can I start addiction counselling in Newcastle upon Tyne soon?
Yes. I'm Bradley Riddell, a counsellor based in Hove, and I see people across Newcastle upon Tyne 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 Newcastle upon Tyne, 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 Newcastle upon Tyne 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 Newcastle upon Tyne?
For Newcastle upon Tyne 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 Jesmond or Heaton without a commute. I hold some daytime and early-evening slots, so we can usually find a regular time that fits.
Are you actually in Newcastle?
No. I work from Hove on the south coast and see Newcastle 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 to the Quayside or the centre, which is often easier to keep up week to week.
I'm a student at one of the universities here, can you help?
Yes. Online sessions carry on through term, placements and trips home, so a move between Newcastle and elsewhere doesn't interrupt things. I work privately, separate from the universities' own counselling services, which you're also free to use alongside this.
Online Addiction Counselling in Newcastle upon Tyne, 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: Sunderland, Gateshead, Durham. See all of Yorkshire & North East.
All counselling & therapy in Newcastle upon Tyne: 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.