Online Counselling and Therapy · Cardiff

Online Counselling and Therapy in Cardiff

Online counselling and therapy for Cardiff, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Cardiff, from the bay and the centre to the streets around the castle, 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 Cardiff, introducing his approach
ConfidentialA safe, private space
Person-centredThe therapy fits you

In and around Cardiff

Counselling and Therapy for Cardiff, at a glance

Areas covered online
All of Cardiff: from the bay and the centre to Cathays, Roath, Canton and Grangetown
Known for
The castle, the bay and the Principality Stadium
Region
Wales (Wales)
Local NHS / support route
NHS psychological therapies (Wales)
Format
Secure video, UK-wide. In-person also available on the Sussex coast.

Life in Cardiff

Why people in Cardiff reach out

Cardiff, the Welsh capital, blends a revived waterfront and a big student population with neighbourhoods that carry real hardship. The pace of capital-city life, rising costs and the contrast between the gleaming bay and harder-pressed areas all shape the pressures people here carry.

Cardiff grew from a modest market town into what was once the greatest coal-exporting port in the world, its wealth shipped out through Butetown and the docks that locals still call Tiger Bay. The old Coal Exchange and the Pierhead Building remember those days, while the regenerated bay now holds the Senedd and the Wales Millennium Centre. As the Welsh capital, the city carries the national rhythms: rugby internationals filling the streets around the Principality Stadium, a large student population around Cathays and Cathays Park, and the civic grandeur of City Hall and the National Museum. Beyond the centre, Roath, Canton and Grangetown keep their own village feel, each with independent shops, cafes and a strong sense of neighbourhood pride.

Cardiff University and its student quarterthe Senedd and Welsh Government at Cardiff Baythe Principality StadiumBBC Cymru Wales at Central Square

Capital-city life is exhilarating and exhausting at once, with time and privacy always short; an hour that comes to you is often what makes therapy possible.

Cardiff is home to Cardiff University and the University Hospital of Wales (the Heath) in Cathays/Heath, and hosts the Senedd and Welsh Government at Cardiff Bay alongside the Principality Stadium in the city centre.

Areas covered

Neighbourhoods in and around Cardiff

CathaysRoathCantonGrangetownSplottAdamsdownButetownLlandaffWhitchurchCyncoedRiversidePontcanna

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

The local picture

The local picture in Cardiff

These figures are local context from official sources, not a description of you, but they show the scale of what people in and around Cardiff 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.

Face-to-face counselling and specialist addiction services can be found across Cardiff, and it is always worth exploring what is close to home. My own practice is based in Hove, on the Sussex coast, so I am not in the city in person. What I offer instead is confidential counselling by secure video, which reaches anywhere in Wales and across the UK. For many people, meeting online from their own front room turns out to be easier than travelling to an appointment at all.

Book a free 15-minute call

What I help with

How online counselling and therapy in Cardiff 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 Cardiff

Why people in Cardiff come for counselling and therapy

Behind Cardiff's revived waterfront and its student energy sit neighbourhoods carrying real hardship, and the gap between the gleaming bay and harder-pressed areas can make personal struggle feel isolating. Counselling with me is a confidential, unhurried space to talk through whatever is weighing on you, whether that is anxiety, low mood, work stress or something harder to name. I practise from Hove and work with people across the capital by secure video, so you can begin from your own front room in Canton or Grangetown, without a waiting list at a local service or a trip into town.

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 Cardiff

My online counselling sits alongside the help available locally. In Cardiff, you can access NHS psychological therapies through your GP or local primary mental health support service. You can find support through the CALL Mental Health Helpline for Wales, free and confidential on 0800 132 737.

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 press 2 for urgent mental health support. The CALL Helpline for Wales is free on 0800 132 737, and the Samaritans are on 116 123.

Cardiff questions

Online Counselling and Therapy in Cardiff: common questions

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

Yes. I work with people right across Cardiff, from the bay and the centre outwards, and anywhere else in Wales, 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?

Anything that is troubling you, from anxiety and low mood to stress, loss, or a general sense of being stuck. You do not need a diagnosis or a tidy explanation to start. We work at your pace by secure video, wherever you are in Cardiff.

How quickly can I begin counselling if I live in Cardiff?

Generally within a week or two. My practice is based in Hove, so I do not see people in Cardiff face to face, but I work across the city by secure video. A free 15-minute consultation lets us talk first, then we book your first full session.

How much is counselling, and how does it compare with waiting for NHS support locally?

Sessions are £80 for an hour, £100 for 90 minutes and £120 for two hours, after a free 15-minute consultation. NHS talking therapies in the Cardiff area often carry a waiting list, so paying privately means you can start online now rather than later.

Does online counselling really work as well as sitting in a room?

For most people, yes. All you need is a private space and a steady connection, whether you are in Cathays, Roath or out towards Llandaff. Meeting by secure video from your own front room often feels more relaxed than travelling to an appointment across the city.

Can I see you in person in Cardiff?

No. My practice is based in Hove, so I do not offer face-to-face sessions in Cardiff. I work with people across the capital and the wider region by secure video, which many find more convenient than travelling to an appointment.

Do you work with Cardiff's student population?

Yes, by video. Students around Cathays and the universities are welcome to get in touch. Sessions take place online wherever you are based, so term time and holidays back home need not interrupt the work.

Online Counselling and Therapy in Cardiff, 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 Wales: Newport, Barry, Pontypridd. See all of Wales.

All counselling & therapy in Cardiff: 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.