Online Counselling and Therapy · Torquay

Online Counselling and Therapy in Torquay

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

In and around Torquay

Counselling and Therapy for Torquay, at a glance

Areas covered online
All of Torquay: from the harbour and seafront to Babbacombe, St Marychurch and Chelston
Known for
The harbour, the seafront and the English Riviera
Region
South West (England)
Local NHS / support route
TALKWORKS, Devon's NHS Talking Therapies service
Format
Secure video, UK-wide. In-person also available on the Sussex coast.

Life in Torquay

Why people in Torquay reach out

Torquay is the heart of the English Riviera, but behind the palm trees the bay carries seasonal, insecure work and some of the sharpest deprivation in the South West. When the summer crowds leave, the quiet months can feel long, and good local support is not always close at hand.

Torquay lives by its seasons. Through the summer the harbour, the marina and the beaches at Babbacombe fill with visitors, and the hotels and cafes along the front take on staff to match. When autumn comes the crowds thin, the seasonal contracts end, and the bay settles into long quiet months. Away from the palm-lined seafront, neighbourhoods such as Ellacombe and Watcombe carry real hardship, and Torbay Hospital serves an older-than-average population strung along the coast. The town's Agatha Christie heritage and Riviera charm draw people to visit and to retire, yet that same transience can leave others feeling adrift. When the winter feels long, a steady, confidential conversation can be an anchor.

the English Riviera tourism and hospitality sectorTorbay Hospitalthe town's Agatha Christie and heritage attractions

A seaside town can feel cut off once the season ends and the front goes quiet, so online support that does not depend on who happens to practise nearby matters here.

Torquay is the principal resort of the English Riviera on Tor Bay and the birthplace of Agatha Christie; Torbay Hospital (Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust) serves the area.

Areas covered

Neighbourhoods in and around Torquay

BabbacombeSt MarychurchChelstonEllacombeWellswoodCockingtonShiphayTorreWatcombe

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

The local picture

The local picture in Torquay

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

Torquay sits on a branch line from Newton Abbot, with the A380 the main road in, and both can clog badly through the summer season. For a bay strung out along the coast, getting about is not always easy. Secure online sessions remove the journey completely, letting us meet from somewhere private at home. The room is in Hove, so Torquay is served online; in-person appointments are only practical for those able to reach the Sussex coast.

Book a free 15-minute call

What I help with

How online counselling and therapy in Torquay 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 Torquay

Why people in Torquay come for counselling and therapy

When the summer crowds leave and the seasonal contracts end, the bay can feel isolating, and away from the palm-lined front, neighbourhoods like Ellacombe carry real hardship. Counselling and therapy in Torquay offer a general, non-clinical space to talk through whatever the long off-season brings: low mood, anxiety, loneliness, or money worries. A steady, confidential conversation can be an anchor. With the consulting room in Hove, Torquay is served by secure online video, so you can meet from somewhere private at home, right through the quiet months.

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 Torquay

My online counselling sits alongside the help available locally. In Torquay, you can refer yourself directly to TALKWORKS, Devon's 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.

Torquay questions

Online Counselling and Therapy in Torquay: common questions

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

Yes. I work with people right across Torquay, from the harbour and seafront 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.

The bay can feel isolating in winter. Can regular counselling help?

It can. A steady, confidential conversation offers a fixed point through the long off-season, whatever else is changing. Sessions are held by secure video from home. The counselling room is in Hove, on the Sussex coast, so Torquay is served online.

How quickly can I start online counselling in Torquay?

There is no local waiting list, so most people in Torquay 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 St Marychurch.

How much is counselling in Torquay, 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 Torquay can also seek NHS Talking Therapies in Torbay via their GP if they prefer.

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

All sessions are held online by secure video, so you can meet from anywhere private in Torquay, whether that is home in Babbacombe or a quiet room near work. Some evening slots suit hospitality and tourism workers on the English Riviera working through the day. In-person visits only suit those able to travel to the Hove room.

My work in Torquay is seasonal and my hours change. Can counselling fit around that?

Yes. Online sessions can be arranged around shifting hospitality and tourism hours, and continued through the quieter winter months when the crowds have gone. We meet by secure video. The counselling room is in Hove, so Torquay is served online rather than in person.

The bay can feel isolating, especially in winter. Can regular sessions help with that?

They can. A steady, confidential conversation offers a fixed point through the long off-season, whatever else is changing around you. Sessions are held online by secure video from home. The room itself is in Hove, on the Sussex coast.

Online Counselling and Therapy in Torquay, 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: Exeter, Plymouth. See all of South West.

All counselling & therapy in Torquay: 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.