Daily or binge drinking
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Online Counselling for Drinking Problems · Birmingham
Online Counselling for Drinking Problems in Birmingham
Online counselling for drinking problems for Birmingham, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Birmingham, from the city centre and the Jewellery Quarter to the streets around the Bullring, 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 Birmingham
Counselling for Drinking Problems for Birmingham, at a glance
- Areas covered online
- All of Birmingham: from the city centre and the Jewellery Quarter to Edgbaston, Moseley, Erdington and Handsworth
- Known for
- The Bullring, the canals and the Library of Birmingham
- Region
- Midlands (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 Birmingham
Why people in Birmingham reach out
Birmingham is the UK's second city and one of its youngest and most diverse, and life here moves fast across very different communities. The pressures of a big city, money worries, crowded housing and the isolation that can come even in a crowd, all take a toll, and reaching out is not always easy.
Birmingham is the country's second city, and daily life here runs across very different worlds. There is the professional bustle of Colmore Row and Brindleyplace, the trades of the Jewellery Quarter, the creative energy of Digbeth and the Custard Factory, and the student populations of the University of Birmingham, Aston and BCU. Add the shift patterns of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, the retail crowds of the Bullring and Grand Central, and the tight-knit communities of Handsworth, Sparkhill and the Balti Triangle. For someone juggling long hours, a demanding commute or the quiet loneliness that a big city can bring, having a steady, confidential hour to think things through can matter a great deal.
With the academic year setting a relentless pace, online sessions flex around terms, deadlines and shift work rather than fighting them.
Birmingham is home to the University of Birmingham and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, one of the largest single-site hospitals in the UK, and HSBC UK has its national headquarters in the city centre.
Areas covered
Neighbourhoods in and around Birmingham
Jewellery QuarterEdgbastonMoseleyErdingtonHandsworthDigbethBournvilleKings HeathSelly OakHarborneSutton Coldfield
Wherever you are in Birmingham, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.
The local picture
The local picture in Birmingham
These figures are local context from official sources, not a description of you, but they show the scale of what people in and around Birmingham are living with, and why local support matters.
the rate of hospital admissions for alcohol-specific conditions was 783.6 per 100,000 in 2023/24, above the England average of 611.7 per 100,000. Source: OHID Fingertips – Admission episodes for alcohol-specific conditions (2023/24).
the alcohol-specific death rate was 19.8 per 100,000 in 2024, above the England average of 13.8 per 100,000. Source: OHID Fingertips – Alcohol-specific mortality (2024).
Local data last reviewed June 2026. Each figure shows the year and links to the official source it was read on.
The counselling for drinking problems itself
Counselling for drinking problems here looks beneath the habit at what drives it, you do not need to have hit rock bottom to begin, and signposts medical, detox and peer support where useful.
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 for drinking problems 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.
Birmingham is well connected, with New Street, Moor Street and Snow Hill stations, the expanding West Midlands Metro tram, and a dense bus network feeding in from the suburbs. Even so, crossing the city in rush hour eats into the day. Working together online removes that journey entirely. The counselling room itself is in Hove, and Birmingham is served by video sessions, so wherever you are in the city you can meet from somewhere private.
Book a free 15-minute callWhat I help with
How online counselling for drinking problems in Birmingham can help
The cause, not the habit
Looking beneath the drinking to what drives it.
Anxiety and low mood
Working with what the alcohol has been managing.
Privacy at home
Sensitive support without anyone needing to know.
Signposting
Links to medical, detox and peer support where useful.
Without the anaesthetic
Reconnecting with the person beneath the drinking.
Counselling for Drinking Problems in Birmingham
Why people in Birmingham come for counselling for drinking problems
Drinking can slip from unwinding after a long day into something that quietly worries you, and in a city where after-work drinks around Brindleyplace or the Bullring are part of the rhythm, it is not always easy to see when the line has moved. Whether it is a couple every evening or heavier weekends, counselling gives you a calm hour to look at your relationship with alcohol honestly. Bradley Riddell works this through with you online, at your pace and without lectures. The room is in Hove, so Birmingham is served by video, from home rather than 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 callDrug, alcohol & addiction support in Birmingham
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 “Birmingham”).
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.
Birmingham questions
Online Counselling for Drinking Problems in Birmingham: common questions
Can I get online counselling for drinking problems if I live in Birmingham?
Yes. I work with people right across Birmingham, from the city centre and the Jewellery Quarter outwards, and anywhere else in Midlands, by secure video, no need to travel to Hove, and just as confidential as meeting in the room.
Do I have to stop drinking completely to start?
No, and you do not need to have hit rock bottom. We look at the role drinking plays and find a steadier way forward at your pace.
Can you help me cut down rather than quit?
For many people moderation is a valid goal, and we will be honest together about what is realistic for you.
What if I've tried before and relapsed?
Relapse is part of many people's recovery, not a failure. We learn from it rather than start the count again from zero.
Do I have to stop drinking before starting?
No. You do not need to have it all worked out or to have quit already. Counselling is a place to look honestly at your drinking and decide what you want to change, at your own pace. Many people come while still drinking and unsure.
How soon can I get help for a drinking problem in Birmingham?
Soon. Support for a drinking problem is offered online across Birmingham from the Hove consulting room, so there is no local queue. A free 15-minute consultation comes first, letting us talk quietly before you commit, and a first full session usually follows within the week.
What are the fees for drinking problem counselling versus NHS alcohol services in Birmingham?
Private sessions are £80 for 60 minutes, £100 for 90 and £120 for two hours, with a free 15-minute consultation to begin. Birmingham's NHS alcohol services are free but can carry a wait, while private counselling starts more quickly and at times that fit your week.
Is drinking problem counselling done in person, and are evenings available for Birmingham?
It is done online, as the room is in Hove and Birmingham is served by video, so nobody sees you arrive at a clinic. Evening appointments can often be arranged, which helps if daytime drinking worries are tangled up with long hours or a demanding commute.
Can we meet at a counselling room in Birmingham?
The consulting room is in Hove, so Birmingham is served online rather than in person. For many people across the city that works out easier, with no drive into the centre or parking to sort. All you need is a private space and a reliable connection.
I work shifts at the hospital, can sessions fit around that?
Yes. Because everything is online, appointments can often be arranged outside the standard nine-to-five, which tends to suit people working rotas at the Queen Elizabeth or across the city's care and retail sectors. It is worth asking about times that fit your week.
Online Counselling for Drinking Problems in Birmingham, 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 Midlands: Solihull, Coventry, Wolverhampton. See all of Midlands.
All counselling & therapy in Birmingham: Addiction · Substance Use · Anxiety · Depression · Relationship · Trauma · Counselling & Therapy · Psychotherapy.
Closer to the Sussex coast? The same counselling for drinking problems is available in person in Brighton & Hove, or see all in-person areas.