Anxiety and worry
When your mind will not settle and everything feels urgent.
Online Counselling and Therapy · Preston
Online Counselling and Therapy in Preston
Online counselling and therapy for Preston, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Preston, from the city centre and the markets to the streets around the Harris Museum, 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 Preston
Counselling and Therapy for Preston, at a glance
- Areas covered online
- All of Preston: from the city centre and the markets to Fulwood, Ashton and Ribbleton
- Known for
- The Harris Museum, the docks and the river Ribble
- Region
- North West (England)
- Local NHS / support route
- NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Talking Therapies
- Format
- Secure video, UK-wide. In-person also available on the Sussex coast.
Life in Preston
Why people in Preston reach out
Preston is Lancashire's administrative city, a former cotton town now built around services, the university and the law courts. The familiar northern mix of insecure work, money worries and an industrial past that has faded shapes the pressures people carry, often behind a stoic front.
Preston earned its city status in the Millennium, though its roots go back far further, to the guild that still returns once a generation. The Harris, that great pillared museum, presides over the Flag Market at the heart of things, while Avenham and Miller Parks slope down to the Ribble. This was a cotton town, and now it turns on the university, the county council and the courts, with Deepdale and Preston North End holding the football faith. Around the centre, Fulwood, Ashton and Penwortham each have their own feel. There's a steady, unshowy Lancashire character here, a tendency to get on with things, which can mean people carry a good deal before they think to mention it.
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.
Preston is home to the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and the Royal Preston Hospital, and is the administrative centre of Lancashire County Council.
Areas covered
Neighbourhoods in and around Preston
the city centreFulwoodAshton-on-RibbleRibbletonDeepdalePenworthamBroadgateIngol
Wherever you are in Preston, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.
The local picture
The local picture in Preston
These figures are local context from official sources, not a description of you, but they show the scale of what people in and around Preston are living with, and why local support matters.
22.1% of adults reported a high anxiety score in 2022/23, below the England average of 23.8%. Source: OHID Fingertips – Self-reported wellbeing: high anxiety score (2022/23).
recorded depression on GP registers stood at 18.1% of patients aged 18+ in 2024/25, above the England average of 14.3%. Source: OHID Fingertips – Depression: QOF prevalence (2024/25).
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.
I'm based in Hove and work with people in Preston online, by video or phone, so wherever you are, in Fulwood, Ribbleton or out towards Penwortham, there's no drive along the ring road or into the centre to manage. The session comes to you, in whatever quiet corner suits. Many find it easier to talk from home. We'd agree a regular time that fits around work and family and keep to it.
Book a free 15-minute callWhat I help with
How online counselling and therapy in Preston can help
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 Preston
Why people in Preston come for counselling and therapy
Preston's roots run deep, from the guild to the old cotton trade, and with that comes a quiet habit of coping rather than complaining. That's a fine quality, but it can leave people struggling alone for longer than they need to. I'm Bradley Riddell, based in Hove, offering talking therapy to people across Preston online, by video or phone. Whether you're in Ashton, Broadgate or out towards Penwortham, we'd meet at a regular time you choose, from your own front room. There's no waiting room and no travel, just a dependable hour that's yours each week.
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 callFinding support in Preston
My online counselling sits alongside the help available locally. In Preston, you can refer yourself directly to NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Talking Therapies 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.
Preston questions
Online Counselling and Therapy in Preston: common questions
Can I get online counselling and therapy if I live in Preston?
Yes. I work with people right across Preston, from the city centre and the markets outwards, and anywhere else in North 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.
Do you cover the wider Lancashire area too?
Yes. Because we meet online, it makes no difference whether you're in Preston itself or the towns and villages around it, from Leyland to Chorley or further into the county. The connection is the same wherever you are, which helps when support otherwise means a long drive.
How quickly can I start counselling in Preston?
Generally within a week or so. Working online from Hove means I am not tied to a local waiting list, so after a free fifteen-minute call I can usually offer a first session soon after. Wherever you are, from Ribbleton to Ashton-on-Ribble, we meet by secure video or phone.
How much is counselling, and should I try the NHS in Preston first?
Sessions are £80 for the standard sixty minutes, with longer options at £100 for ninety and £120 for two hours. NHS Talking Therapies is free but often has a wait, so some people start privately with me while it comes through. The first fifteen-minute consultation costs nothing.
Do you offer evening sessions for people working around Preston?
Yes. Online work makes evenings and quieter daytime slots easier to hold, whether you are at the university, the county council or working shifts. We would agree one regular time and keep it consistent week to week, so it becomes something dependable rather than another thing to fit in.
Do you cover the wider Lancashire area too?
Yes. Because we meet online, it makes no difference whether you're in Preston itself or the towns and villages around it, from Leyland to Chorley or further into the county. The connection is the same wherever you are, which is often a relief when the nearest support otherwise means a long drive.
Online Counselling and Therapy in Preston, 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 North West: Blackburn, Blackpool, Lancaster. See all of North West.
All counselling & therapy in Preston: 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.