Online Counselling and Therapy · Bristol

Online Counselling and Therapy in Bristol

Online counselling and therapy for Bristol, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Bristol, from the harbourside and the centre to the streets around the Suspension Bridge, with the same BACP-registered, confidential support as an in-person session, and no journey.

Online across the UKSecure videoFree 15-min consultation
BACP registered member25+ years of experienceLived experience
Bradley Riddell, BACP-registered counsellor offering online counselling and therapy for Bristol, introducing his approach
ConfidentialA safe, private space
Person-centredThe therapy fits you

In and around Bristol

Counselling and Therapy for Bristol, at a glance

Areas covered online
All of Bristol: from the harbourside and the centre to Clifton, Bedminster, Stokes Croft and Easton
Known for
The Suspension Bridge, the harbourside and the Downs
Region
South West (England)
Local NHS / support route
VitaMinds, the BNSSG NHS Talking Therapies service
Format
Secure video, UK-wide. In-person also available on the Sussex coast.

Life in Bristol

Why people in Bristol reach out

Bristol is the creative, independent capital of the South West, but its energy comes with sharp housing costs and a widening gap between its prosperous and its struggling neighbourhoods. The pace of a fast-growing city, long hours in its tech and creative industries, and the sheer cost of affording to live here can quietly wear people down.

Bristol keeps a lot of plates spinning. Mornings on Gloucester Road, one of the longest runs of independent shops in the country, give way to the offices around Temple Quay and the aerospace works up at Filton, where much of the city's engineering still turns. Students from the university and UWE fill the terraces of Redland and Stokes Croft, while families in Bedminster and Easton juggle rising rents against wages that rarely keep pace. Between the harbourside studios, the music nights and the ferry crossing the Floating Harbour, it is a city that prizes doing things its own way. That same independence can make it hard to say when you are struggling, and a quiet, confidential hour can be a real relief.

the University of Bristolthe University of the West of Englandthe Filton aerospace clusterthe harbourside creative and media sector

With the academic year setting a relentless pace, online sessions flex around terms, deadlines and shift work rather than fighting them.

Bristol is home to the University of Bristol and UWE Bristol, with acute hospitals run by University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (Bristol Royal Infirmary) and North Bristol NHS Trust (Southmead Hospital). Major employers include the aerospace cluster at Filton (Airbus and Rolls-Royce).

Areas covered

Neighbourhoods in and around Bristol

CliftonBedminsterStokes CroftEastonBishopstonSouthvilleRedlandMontpelierFishpondsKnowleHorfieldSt Pauls

Wherever you are in Bristol, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.

The local picture

The local picture in Bristol

These figures are local context from official sources, not a description of you, but they show the scale of what people in and around Bristol are living with, and why local support matters.

Local data last reviewed June 2026. Each figure shows the year and links to the official source it was read on.

The counselling and therapy itself

Counselling and therapy here is one steady starting point for whatever you are carrying, anxiety, low mood, addiction, relationships or the past, integrative and led by you, so we begin with what matters most and shape the work around you.

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 counselling and therapy 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.

Bristol moves people by rail from Temple Meads, by the MetroBus routes that thread across the city, and along the M4 and M5 that ring it. Even so, cross-city traffic and parking can turn a short trip into a long one. Secure online sessions remove that entirely, letting us meet from wherever you feel private. The consulting room itself is in Hove, so Bristol is served online; in-person appointments only suit those able to travel to the Sussex coast.

Book a free 15-minute call

What I help with

How online counselling and therapy in Bristol can help

Anxiety and worry

When your mind will not settle and everything feels urgent.

Low mood and depression

For the flatness, exhaustion and loss of interest that drain the colour from things.

Addiction and habits

Alcohol, drugs, gambling or behaviours that have stopped feeling like a choice.

Relationships

Conflict, distance and trust, as a couple or on your own.

Trauma and the past

When something you have been through still shapes your present.

Life feeling stuck

For the big transitions, losses and crossroads that leave you unsure which way to turn.

Counselling and Therapy in Bristol

Why people in Bristol come for counselling and therapy

Counselling and therapy in Bristol covers a wide range: the stress of fast-growing tech and creative work, the isolation that can hide in a busy, independent city, low mood, anxiety, or simply feeling worn down by the cost of living here. This is a general, non-clinical space to talk things through at your own pace, whatever has brought you. With the room in Hove, Bristol is served by secure online sessions, so you can meet from a room in halls, a shared house in Redland, or somewhere private at home, without the cross-city trip.

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 call

Finding support in Bristol

My online counselling sits alongside the help available locally. In Bristol, you can refer yourself directly to VitaMinds, the BNSSG NHS Talking Therapies service for free NHS talking therapy, with no GP referral needed.

Private sessions with me usually mean you can start sooner and stay with the same counsellor throughout; I am glad to work alongside any NHS or GP support you already have.

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.

Bristol questions

Online Counselling and Therapy in Bristol: common questions

Can I get online counselling and therapy if I live in Bristol?

Yes. I work with people right across Bristol, from the harbourside 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.

I'm not sure exactly what's wrong, can I still come?

Absolutely. You do not need a label or a clear problem to begin. We start with whatever is weighing on you most and find the thread together; if something more specific would help, I will say so.

What's the difference between counselling and psychotherapy?

Counselling tends to focus on what is happening now and can be shorter; psychotherapy goes deeper into long-standing patterns and usually runs longer. We can start with counselling and go deeper if it helps.

How many sessions will I need?

There is no fixed number. Some people come for a handful of sessions, others for longer; we review together regularly rather than committing you to an open-ended course.

What kinds of things can I bring to counselling and therapy from Bristol?

Anything weighing on you: work stress from the studios or aerospace works, loneliness in a busy city, anxiety, low mood, or a difficult patch. Sessions are held by secure video, so you can talk it through from wherever you feel private in Bristol. The room itself is in Hove.

How quickly can I start online counselling in Bristol?

There is no local waiting list, so most people in Bristol start within a week or two of getting in touch. We begin with a free 15-minute call, then book a first full session. Everything runs by secure video, with the room itself in Hove near Bedminster.

How much is counselling in Bristol, and can I get it through the NHS?

This is a private practice, so sessions are self funded rather than through the NHS. A 60-minute session is 80 pounds, 90 minutes is 100 pounds and 120 minutes is 120 pounds, and the first 15-minute consultation is free. People in Bristol can also seek NHS Talking Therapies in Bristol via their GP if they prefer.

Is counselling in Bristol delivered online, and are evening times available?

All sessions are held online by secure video, so you can meet from anywhere private in Bristol, whether that is home in Clifton or a quiet room near work. Some evening slots suit students at the University of Bristol and UWE working through the day. In-person visits only suit those able to travel to the Hove room.

I'm a student at the University of Bristol or UWE. Can we still work together?

Yes. Many students find online sessions easier to fit around lectures and can take them from a room in halls or a shared house without crossing the city. The counselling room is in Hove, so we would meet by secure video wherever you are in Bristol.

Does shift work at Filton or on the harbourside make counselling hard to arrange?

Not really. Because sessions are held online, they can be booked around irregular hours in the aerospace works or the creative studios, without tying you to a fixed commute. We meet by video; the room itself is in Hove, on the Sussex coast.

Online Counselling and Therapy in Bristol, 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: Bath, Weston-super-Mare, Gloucester. See all of South West.

All counselling & therapy in Bristol: Addiction · Substance Use · Drinking Problems · Anxiety · Depression · Relationship · Trauma · Psychotherapy.

Closer to the Sussex coast? The same counselling and therapy is available in person in Brighton & Hove, or see all in-person areas.