Alcohol
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Online Addiction Counselling · Swindon
Online Addiction Counselling in Swindon
Online addiction counselling for Swindon, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Swindon, from the Old Town and the centre to the streets around the railway heritage, 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 Swindon
Addiction Counselling for Swindon, at a glance
- Areas covered online
- All of Swindon: from the Old Town and the centre to Old Walcot, Stratton and West Swindon
- Known for
- The railway heritage, the Magic Roundabout and the Old Town
- Region
- South West (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 Swindon
Why people in Swindon reach out
Swindon grew on the railway and now runs largely on commuting and distribution work, sitting on the fast line between Bristol and London. Long hours, target-driven jobs and a town many people moved to for work rather than roots can leave wellbeing low on the list until something gives.
Swindon runs on movement. The town grew around the Great Western Railway works, and though the great sheds now house the STEAM museum and the designer outlet, the fast line still carries commuters towards Bristol and Paddington each morning. Around the M4 junctions, distribution parks and offices, including Nationwide's headquarters, set the pace, and much of the workforce moved here for the jobs and the housing rather than any family tie. The Old Town keeps a quieter, older character above the newer estates spreading west. It is a practical, unpretentious place that keeps its head down and gets on, but the commute-and-target routine can wear people thin, and a confidential space to stop and think is worth having.
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.
Swindon is the headquarters of Nationwide Building Society and the National Trust; its acute hospital is the Great Western Hospital, and the town grew around the Great Western Railway works.
Areas covered
Neighbourhoods in and around Swindon
Old TownOld WalcotStrattonWest SwindonGorse HillRodbourneFreshbrookToothillPark NorthWroughton
Wherever you are in Swindon, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.
The local picture
The local picture in Swindon
These figures are local context from official sources, not a description of you, but they show the scale of what people in and around Swindon are living with, and why local support matters.
the rate of hospital admissions for alcohol-related conditions (narrow definition) was 605.5 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 2.9 per 100,000 in 2022 - 24, below 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.
Swindon sits on the fast Great Western line, with quick trains to Bristol and London Paddington and the M4 running along its edge, so a great deal of life here is spent travelling. Secure online sessions give that time back, letting us meet without any journey at all. The room itself is in Hove, meaning Swindon is served online; in-person appointments are only practical for those able to reach the Sussex coast.
Book a free 15-minute callWhat I help with
How online addiction counselling in Swindon 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 Swindon
Why people in Swindon come for addiction counselling
Swindon keeps its head down and gets on, but the commute-and-target routine can wear people thin, and many arrived here for the work rather than any family tie to lean on. In that mix, a habit can quietly become the way you cope, with few close by to notice. Counselling offers a confidential space to stop and think, with no further journey to make in a life already spent travelling. Sessions are held by secure video; the room is in Hove, so Swindon is served online, with in-person appointments only for those able to reach the Sussex coast.
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 Swindon
My online counselling sits alongside the help available locally. In Swindon, free local drug and alcohol support is available through Swindon Borough Council's drug and alcohol support services.
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.
Swindon questions
Online Addiction Counselling in Swindon: common questions
Can I get online addiction counselling if I live in Swindon?
Yes. I work with people right across Swindon, from the Old Town and the centre outwards, and anywhere else in South West, 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 moved to Swindon for work and have no family nearby. Can that be part of the work?
Yes. Feeling unrooted in a town you came to for a job is common here, and it is something we can talk through alongside the habit itself. Sessions are held online by secure video. The counselling room is in Hove, on the Sussex coast.
How soon can I start addiction counselling in Swindon?
Once you get in touch we usually arrange a free 15-minute consultation within a few days, then book your first full session soon after. Everything runs online, so wherever you are in Swindon, from Old Town to Old Walcot, you can begin without waiting for a local referral.
What are your fees, and how do they compare with NHS support in Swindon?
Sessions are £80 for 60 minutes, £100 for 90 minutes and £120 for 120 minutes, with a free 15-minute consultation first. NHS support in Swindon, through your GP, is free but can involve a wait, whereas private online work with me usually starts within days.
Is online addiction counselling as effective as meeting in person in Swindon?
For most people it works just as well, and many prefer the privacy. My consulting room is in Hove, so face-to-face suits only those able to travel to the Sussex coast. Meeting online spares you the trip across Swindon near the Old Town, and I keep some later appointments for busy weeks.
I commute out of Swindon most days. Can counselling fit around that?
Yes. Online sessions remove any extra travel, so they can slot into an evening or a gap in the day without a further journey. We meet by secure video. The counselling room is in Hove, so Swindon is served online rather than in person.
I moved to Swindon for work and don't have family nearby. Can that be part of the work?
Absolutely. Feeling unrooted in a town you came to for a job is common here, and it is something we can talk through. Sessions are held online by secure video, from wherever you are living. The counselling room is in Hove, on the Sussex coast.
Online Addiction Counselling in Swindon, 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 South West: Bristol, Bath, Reading. See all of South West.
All counselling & therapy in Swindon: 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.