Online Addiction Counselling · Reading

Online Addiction Counselling in Reading

Online addiction counselling for Reading, by secure video, wherever you are. The hardest part is often just starting. Online addiction counselling keeps that first step small for people in Reading: a private hour from your own space, with no journey and nobody to bump into.

Online across the UKSecure videoFree 15-min consultation
BACP registered member25+ years of experienceLived experience
Bradley Riddell, counsellor in Brighton & Hove, introducing his approach to therapy
ConfidentialA safe, private space
Person-centredThe therapy fits you
Online addiction counselling by secure video for clients in Reading

Addiction Counselling for Reading, without the journey

From the heart of Reading, near the Thames, the Oracle and the Kennet, out to its edges, from the centre and the university quarter to Caversham, Tilehurst and Earley, online sessions make it possible to get the right support without rearranging your whole day around a single appointment.

Hove is where my room is, but the support is not tied to Sussex. Over a secure link I work with people in Reading and far beyond, with the same depth and confidentiality as meeting face to face.

I also work online with people elsewhere in London & South East, including Slough, Oxford, Basingstoke.

If you would still prefer to meet in person and can travel to the Sussex coast, you are welcome to, but for most clients in Reading online addiction counselling is the natural and effective choice.

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.

Student and academic life can be intense and surprisingly lonely, even surrounded by people your own age. Working online keeps support steady through term and vacation alike, wherever you are.

What I help with

How online addiction counselling can help

Alcohol

For when drinking has stopped feeling like a choice.

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.

Why online works in Reading

Why people in Reading choose online counselling

Built around your commute

If your week in Reading runs on the early train and the late return, online sessions slot into the day without adding another journey to it.

Gentle when leaving home is hard

If anxiety, low mood or avoidance make leaving the house feel like too much right now, starting online from Reading can be the gentlest possible way in.

Less time lost from work

An online hour rarely costs you a half-day, which is what makes regular sessions realistic for busy lives in Reading.

Support that travels

If you move, travel for work or split your time between places, online counselling carries on uninterrupted wherever you happen to be.

A calm space for online addiction counselling in Reading

How online sessions work

Beyond the practicalities, this is the heart of how the work goes. My approach is integrative and person-centred. Rather than white-knuckling your way through, we look at both the habit and the unmet needs beneath it, so recovery is sustainable. Where trauma is involved I draw on the Human Givens Rewind Technique, Internal Family Systems and solution-focused work.

Sessions run over a secure video link. All you need is a private space where you won't be interrupted, a laptop, tablet or phone, and a reasonable connection. We begin with a free fifteen-minute call, then I send a simple link you click at the agreed time.

Read more about online counselling, about addiction counselling, or about my methods, sessions and fees.

Start the conversation

Finding support in Reading

My online counselling sits alongside the help available locally, and it can be worth knowing what else is there. In Reading, you can refer yourself directly to NHS Talking Therapies Berkshire for free NHS talking therapy, with no GP referral needed. You can also find your nearest service through the NHS Talking Therapies finder.

Private sessions with me usually mean you can start sooner, stay with the same counsellor throughout, and work at greater depth and pace; the two can run side by side, and I'm glad to work alongside any NHS or GP support you already have.

If you need urgent help now

This practice is not a crisis service. If you or someone else 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

Do you offer online addiction counselling for people in Reading?

Yes. I work with clients in Reading and right across the UK by secure video. You don't need to live near Brighton or Hove; online addiction counselling brings the same care to wherever you are.

How does online addiction counselling work from Reading?

We meet over a secure, private video link at a time that suits you. You'll need a quiet space, a device with a camera and a steady connection. We always begin with a free fifteen-minute call so you can ask questions and check the fit.

Does online therapy really work?

Online and in-person therapy are similarly effective for most people, and clients usually settle quickly once the screen fades into the background and the conversation takes over.

Is online counselling private and confidential?

Yes. Sessions run on a secure, encrypted video link, and everything we discuss is held to the same strict BACP confidentiality as work done in person. All you need at your end is a private space.

Online Addiction Counselling in Reading, whenever you are ready

When you're ready, book a free fifteen-minute call. It costs nothing, commits you to nothing, and is the simplest way to find out if I'm the right counsellor for you in Reading.