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Online Addiction Counselling · Stoke-on-Trent
Online Addiction Counselling in Stoke-on-Trent
Online addiction counselling for Stoke-on-Trent, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Stoke-on-Trent, from across the six towns, Hanley and Stoke to the streets around the bottle kilns, 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 Stoke-on-Trent
Addiction Counselling for Stoke-on-Trent, at a glance
- Areas covered online
- All of Stoke-on-Trent: across the six towns, from Hanley and Stoke to Burslem, Tunstall, Longton and Fenton
- Known for
- The bottle kilns, the Potteries and the canals
- Region
- Midlands (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 Stoke-on-Trent
Why people in Stoke-on-Trent reach out
Stoke-on-Trent grew as the Potteries, six towns knitted into one, and the long decline of the pottery and mining industries has left real hardship behind. Insecure work, money worries and a sense of being overlooked all shape the pressures people here carry, often quietly.
Stoke-on-Trent is unlike anywhere else, six towns knitted into one city, from Hanley's centre to Burslem, Tunstall, Longton, Fenton and Stoke itself. The Potteries made the world's tableware, and names like Wedgwood, Emma Bridgewater and Steelite carry that craft on, with the bottle kilns still marking the skyline. Staffordshire University and the bet365 Stadium sit alongside canals, the oatcake shops and Trentham Gardens on the edge. The long decline of the pottery and mining trades has left real hardship, and a sense of being overlooked runs deep. When that weighs on someone, a quiet, confidential hour to talk things through can help.
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.
Stoke-on-Trent is home to Staffordshire University, the Royal Stoke University Hospital, and the bet365 headquarters, alongside its surviving ceramics firms such as Steelite and Portmeirion.
Areas covered
Neighbourhoods in and around Stoke-on-Trent
HanleyBurslemTunstallLongtonFentonStokeMeirBentileeTrenthamBucknall
Wherever you are in Stoke-on-Trent, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.
The local picture
The local picture in Stoke-on-Trent
These figures are local context from official sources, not a description of you, but they show the scale of what people in and around Stoke-on-Trent are living with, and why local support matters.
the rate of hospital admissions for alcohol-related conditions (narrow definition) was 861.2 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 6.9 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.
Stoke sits on the West Coast Main Line, with the station at Stoke around an hour and a half from London Euston and quick links to Manchester and Crewe, while the A50 and the M6 nearby carry much of the traffic between the six towns and beyond. For online counselling none of that is needed. The consulting room is in Hove and Stoke-on-Trent is served by video, so you can meet from a private space wherever you are across the Potteries.
Book a free 15-minute callWhat I help with
How online addiction counselling in Stoke-on-Trent 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 Stoke-on-Trent
Why people in Stoke-on-Trent come for addiction counselling
Across the six towns of Stoke-on-Trent, the long decline of the pottery and mining trades has left real hardship and a sense of being overlooked, and that can be fertile ground for an addiction to take hold quietly. When a habit becomes the way you cope with money worry or a life that feels stuck, facing it alone is hard. Counselling with Bradley Riddell offers a confidential hour to understand it, without judgement and at your pace. The room is in Hove, so Stoke is served by video, from Hanley to Longton to Burslem, meeting from a private space wherever you are across the Potteries.
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 Stoke-on-Trent
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 “Stoke-on-Trent”).
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.
Stoke-on-Trent questions
Online Addiction Counselling in Stoke-on-Trent: common questions
Can I get online addiction counselling if I live in Stoke-on-Trent?
Yes. I work with people right across Stoke-on-Trent, from across the six towns, Hanley and Stoke outwards, and anywhere else in Midlands, 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 does online counselling work if I have never tried it?
It is straightforward. Sessions happen over a video call at an agreed time, from wherever you feel private, whether that is one of the six towns or somewhere quieter nearby. You need only a reliable connection and a space where you will not be interrupted.
How soon can I start addiction counselling in Stoke-on-Trent?
Fairly quickly. Stoke-on-Trent is served online from the Hove consulting room, so there is no local waiting list. We begin with a free 15-minute consultation, then arrange a first full session, often within the same week, wherever you are across the six towns.
How do private addiction counselling fees compare with NHS help in Stoke-on-Trent?
Sessions are £80 for 60 minutes, £100 for 90 and £120 for two hours, after a free 15-minute consultation. NHS addiction support across Stoke is free through your GP or community services but can mean waiting, while private counselling starts sooner and more flexibly.
Can we meet in person, or are evenings possible for Stoke-on-Trent?
The room is in Hove, so Stoke-on-Trent is served online rather than face to face, with no journey between Hanley, Burslem or Longton. Because it is by video, evening sessions can often be arranged around work across the Potteries, at a time that suits you.
How does online counselling work if I've not tried it?
It is straightforward. Sessions happen over a video call at an agreed time, from wherever you feel private, whether that is one of the six towns or somewhere quieter nearby. You need only a reliable connection and a space where you won't be interrupted.
Online Addiction Counselling in Stoke-on-Trent, 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 Midlands: Derby, Telford, Tamworth. See all of Midlands.
All counselling & therapy in Stoke-on-Trent: 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.