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Online Addiction Counselling · Reading
Online Addiction Counselling in Reading
Online addiction counselling for Reading, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Reading, from the centre and the university quarter to the streets around the Thames, 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 Reading
Addiction Counselling for Reading, at a glance
- Areas covered online
- All of Reading: from the centre and the university quarter to Caversham, Tilehurst and Earley
- Known for
- The Thames, the Oracle and the Kennet
- 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 Reading
Why people in Reading reach out
Reading sits at the heart of the Thames Valley tech corridor, and with that comes a particular kind of pressure: demanding jobs, a long daily commute into London or along the M4, and a cost of living that keeps the foot on the accelerator. It is easy here for the days to blur together and for stress to harden quietly into something heavier.
Reading runs on the Thames Valley's technology and business economy, with campuses and offices around Green Park and the town centre and a steady tide of people heading for the University of Reading or the Royal Berkshire Hospital. The Elizabeth line and the main line into Paddington make it a place people commute from as much as live in, and the Oracle, the Kennet and the riverside at Caversham fill up whenever there is a moment to breathe. Between demanding project deadlines, a packed daily journey and the cost of a Berkshire postcode, the weeks can slide by on autopilot. When the pace never really eases, a confidential space to slow down and take stock can matter a great deal.
With the academic year setting a relentless pace, online sessions flex around terms, deadlines and shift work rather than fighting them.
Reading is a Thames Valley tech and commercial hub - Microsoft's UK headquarters is at Thames Valley Park - and home to the University of Reading and the Royal Berkshire Hospital.
Areas covered
Neighbourhoods in and around Reading
CavershamTilehurstEarleyLower EarleyWoodleyWhitleySouthcoteColeyEmmer Green
Wherever you are in Reading, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.
The local picture
The local picture in Reading
These figures are local context from official sources, not a description of you, but they show the scale of what people in and around Reading are living with, and why local support matters.
the rate of hospital admissions for alcohol-related conditions (narrow definition) was 337.3 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 6.3 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.
Reading is built for the commute, with fast trains into Paddington and the motorway running west, so most people here already spend enough of their week in transit. Working online removes one more journey: you join securely from home or the office, with nothing to travel to. The practice room is in Hove, reachable by train down to the Sussex coast if you would prefer an in-person session, but for Reading the sessions are held online.
Book a free 15-minute callWhat I help with
How online addiction counselling in Reading 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 Reading
Why people in Reading come for addiction counselling
Reading runs at the accelerated pace of the Thames Valley, where a demanding project, a long day and a packed commute can leave an addiction unexamined for years. It is easy for the drinking, the pills or whatever else has crept in to become just another way of coping with the pressure. Wherever you are in that, we can look at it honestly. Sessions are held securely online with a male counsellor whose room is in Hove, so there is nothing to travel to at the end of a day already spent on the train. You join from home or a quiet office, and we go entirely at your pace.
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 Reading
My online counselling sits alongside the help available locally. In Reading, free local drug and alcohol support is available through Reading Borough 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.
Reading questions
Online Addiction Counselling in Reading: common questions
Can I get online addiction counselling if I live in Reading?
Yes. I work with people right across Reading, from the centre and the university quarter 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.
I commute into Paddington and get home late. When could sessions happen?
That is very common in Reading. With no room to travel to, sessions can be booked for the early evening once you are back, or on days you work from home. We simply find a regular slot that survives the rhythm of the commute.
How quickly can I start online addiction counselling in Reading?
Generally within a week. We start with a free 15-minute consultation, then fix a regular slot. Because the work is online, there is nothing to travel to along the M4 or into town by the Oracle, and no local waiting list, so people across the Thames Valley can begin promptly.
What are the fees for addiction counselling in Reading, and is it on the NHS?
Privately, it is £80 for 60 minutes, £100 for 90 and £120 for 120, after a free 15-minute consultation. For NHS help, your GP can refer you and Berkshire's council-funded drug and alcohol service takes self-referrals at no cost, separate from this private practice.
I commute into Paddington from Reading. Are evening online sessions available?
Yes. Sessions are held securely online, which fits a Thames Valley week of long project deadlines and a packed commute far better than another journey. Evening and remote-working slots are usually the most practical. The room is in Hove, a train down the coast, if you ever want to meet in person.
I commute into Paddington and get home late. When could sessions happen?
That is very common in Reading. With no room to travel to, sessions can be booked for the early evening once you are back from the office, or on days you work from home. We simply find a regular slot that survives the rhythm of the commute.
Online Addiction Counselling in Reading, 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: Slough, Oxford, Basingstoke, London. See all of London & South East.
All counselling & therapy in Reading: 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.