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Online Addiction Counselling · Wakefield
Online Addiction Counselling in Wakefield
Online addiction counselling for Wakefield, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Wakefield, from the cathedral and the centre to the streets around the Hepworth gallery, 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 Wakefield
Addiction Counselling for Wakefield, at a glance
- Areas covered online
- All of Wakefield: from the cathedral and the centre to Sandal, Horbury and Lupset
- Known for
- The cathedral, the Hepworth gallery and the old coalfield
- 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 Wakefield
Why people in Wakefield reach out
Wakefield is a cathedral city at the heart of the former West Yorkshire coalfield, and the closure of the pits left deep and lasting marks on the towns around it. Insecure work, money worries and a strong but stoic culture all shape what people here carry, often quietly.
Wakefield is a cathedral city at the heart of the old West Yorkshire coalfield, its slender spire the tallest in the county and its medieval Chantry Chapel still perched on the bridge over the Calder. Down by the river, The Hepworth Wakefield draws visitors to a city that has long nurtured sculpture, Barbara Hepworth was born here, and the Yorkshire Sculpture Park spreads across parkland just to the west at Bretton. This is the heart of the famous rhubarb triangle, and the ruins of Sandal Castle look out over it all. The pit villages that ring the district, from Stanley to Normanton, still carry the memory of coal, while the city centre and Trinity Walk keep the everyday rhythm going.
Beneath a calm, historic surface, struggle can be hard to voice; a confidential online hour asks nothing of appearances.
Wakefield's main hospital, Pinderfields, is run by the Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust; the city sits at the heart of the former West Yorkshire coalfield and is home to The Hepworth Wakefield art gallery.
Areas covered
Neighbourhoods in and around Wakefield
SandalHorburyLupsetAgbriggKettlethorpeOutwoodStanleyOssettNormantonWrenthorpe
Wherever you are in Wakefield, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.
The local picture
The local picture in Wakefield
These figures are local context from official sources, not a description of you, but they show the scale of what people in and around Wakefield are living with, and why local support matters.
the rate of hospital admissions for alcohol-related conditions (narrow definition) was 523.6 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 10.6 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 and work with people across the Wakefield district online, by secure video, rather than in person. Sessions come to you, at home in Sandal or Horbury, or wherever's quiet in the outlying villages, so there's no trip into the city to fit in. We'd settle on a regular weekly time that works around your commitments and stick with it.
Book a free 15-minute callWhat I help with
How online addiction counselling in Wakefield 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 Wakefield
Why people in Wakefield come for addiction counselling
Across the old West Yorkshire coalfield around Wakefield, from Stanley to Normanton, there's a strong, stoic culture where people tend to get on with things rather than ask for help. That can let an addiction take hold quietly. I'm Bradley, a counsellor based in Hove, and I work with people across the Wakefield district online, by secure video, rather than in person. Sessions come to you - at home in Sandal or Horbury, or wherever's quiet in the outlying villages - so there's no trip into the city. We keep a regular weekly time and work, without judgement, on understanding the habit and loosening its grip.
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 Wakefield
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 “Wakefield”).
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.
Wakefield questions
Online Addiction Counselling in Wakefield: common questions
Can I get online addiction counselling if I live in Wakefield?
Yes. I work with people right across Wakefield, from the cathedral 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 based in Wakefield?
No, I work from Hove and see Wakefield clients by secure video call. For people out in the former pit villages, where getting to appointments can mean a real journey, meeting online often makes support far easier to keep up week to week.
How soon could I begin addiction counselling from Wakefield?
Usually fairly soon. Working online means I am not tied to Wakefield clinic hours, so we can find a slot that fits around The Hepworth and the wider district. It starts with a free 15-minute consultation about your addiction, then a regular weekly session once we agree things suit you.
Is private addiction counselling in Wakefield worth it over the NHS route?
Privately I charge 80 pounds an hour, 100 pounds for 90 minutes and 120 pounds for two hours, with a free 15-minute call first. Wakefield also has NHS routes, through your GP or Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, at no cost; those can involve a wait, so private sessions suit anyone wanting to begin addiction work now.
Can addiction counselling fit around work in Wakefield, and is it online?
Sessions with me are online only for Wakefield, as I am based in Hove. People working near The Hepworth and the wider district often prefer this, fitting addiction counselling around the day without travel across the city. I offer daytime and some early-evening appointments, and we would keep the same weekly slot wherever possible.
Are you based in Wakefield?
No, I work from Hove on the south coast and see Wakefield clients by secure video call. For people out in the former pit villages, where getting to appointments can mean a real journey, meeting online often makes support far easier to keep up week to week.
Is this something separate from the NHS?
Yes. I'm an independent private counsellor, arranged directly with you, not part of any local NHS or council service. You're welcome to use NHS talking therapies alongside or instead, I'm simply another option, available by video at a time that suits your week.
Online Addiction Counselling in Wakefield, 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: Leeds, Barnsley, Huddersfield. See all of Yorkshire & North East.
All counselling & therapy in Wakefield: 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.