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Online Counselling for Drinking Problems · Cheltenham
Online Counselling for Drinking Problems in Cheltenham
Online counselling for drinking problems for Cheltenham, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Cheltenham, from the Promenade and Montpellier to the streets around the Pittville Pump Room, 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 Cheltenham
Counselling for Drinking Problems for Cheltenham, at a glance
- Areas covered online
- All of Cheltenham: from the Promenade and Montpellier to Pittville, Charlton Kings and Hesters Way
- Known for
- The Promenade, the Pittville Pump Room and the racecourse
- Region
- South West (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 Cheltenham
Why people in Cheltenham reach out
Cheltenham wears its regency elegance and its festivals proudly, but the polished surface can make difficulty feel like something to hide, and the town holds sharp contrasts between affluence and hardship. The pressure to keep up appearances in a smart, sociable town can leave people anxious and slow to ask for help.
Cheltenham dresses well. The Promenade's Regency terraces, the boutiques of Montpellier and the greenery of Pittville set a tone of ease that the festival season, from literature to jazz, only heightens. Much of the town's working life is quietly demanding, though: GCHQ draws a large, discreet professional workforce, the racecourse at Prestbury Park brings the intensity of the Gold Cup each spring, and private schooling shapes a culture of high expectation. Away from the smart streets, estates such as Hesters Way tell a different story. In a town so invested in appearances, admitting that you are anxious or worn thin can feel like breaking the spell, which is why a private, judgement-free conversation can be such a relief.
In a well-heeled town the pressure to look in control runs high, so online sessions stay discreet, with no clinic to be seen entering.
Cheltenham is home to GCHQ (the UK government's intelligence and security agency) and Cheltenham Racecourse, host of the Cheltenham Festival; the town is also known for its literature, jazz and science festivals.
Areas covered
Neighbourhoods in and around Cheltenham
MontpellierPittvilleCharlton KingsHesters WayLeckhamptonThe SuffolksPrestburyBenhallFairviewLansdown
Wherever you are in Cheltenham, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.
The local picture
The local picture in Cheltenham
These figures are local context from official sources, not a description of you, but they show the scale of what people in and around Cheltenham are living with, and why local support matters.
the rate of hospital admissions for alcohol-specific conditions was 425.2 per 100,000 in 2023/24, below 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 11.2 per 100,000 in 2024, below 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.
Cheltenham Spa station links the town to Gloucester, Bristol and Birmingham, with the M5 close and Gloucester almost next door, though the station sits a little way from the centre. Secure online sessions do away with the trip altogether, so we can meet from wherever feels private to you. The consulting room is in Hove, so Cheltenham is served online; in-person appointments suit only those able to reach the Sussex coast.
Book a free 15-minute callWhat I help with
How online counselling for drinking problems in Cheltenham 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 Cheltenham
Why people in Cheltenham come for counselling for drinking problems
Cheltenham's calendar of festivals and sociable evenings makes drinking part of the town's easy self-image, which can make a growing reliance on alcohol easy to overlook and awkward to admit. When keeping up appearances matters, saying that drink has become a problem can feel like letting the side down. Counselling offers an unhurried, confidential hour to look at your drinking without judgement. Sessions are by secure video, so there is no smart local address to be spotted at. The room is in Hove, so Cheltenham is served online; in-person appointments suit only those able to reach the Sussex coast.
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 Cheltenham
My online counselling sits alongside the help available locally. In Cheltenham, free local drug and alcohol support is available through Gloucestershire County Council's drug and alcohol recovery support.
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.
Cheltenham questions
Online Counselling for Drinking Problems in Cheltenham: common questions
Can I get online counselling for drinking problems if I live in Cheltenham?
Yes. I work with people right across Cheltenham, from the Promenade and Montpellier 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.
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.
Cheltenham's social life revolves around drinking. Can counselling still be discreet?
Yes. Meeting online means no local waiting room and no one need know you are attending. A confidential hour lets you look at your drinking honestly. We speak by secure video; the counselling room is in Hove, on the Sussex coast.
How quickly can I get help for a drinking problem in Cheltenham?
Usually within days. We start with a free 15-minute consultation to see whether we are a good fit, then book your first full session. It is all online, so you can begin from anywhere in Cheltenham, from Benhall to Fairview, without joining a local waiting list.
What will drinking problem counselling cost, and is NHS help available in Cheltenham?
My fees are £80 for 60 minutes, £100 for 90 minutes and £120 for 120 minutes, after a free 15-minute consultation. NHS alcohol support in Cheltenham, through your GP, is free but can mean a wait, whereas private online sessions with me are paced around you.
Is online drinking problem counselling private, and can we meet in the evening in Cheltenham?
Yes. Online sessions are discreet, and you speak from home rather than a clinic anywhere in Cheltenham, including Lansdown or Montpellier. I offer some evening slots for after work. My only in-person room is in Hove, so face-to-face suits those able to travel to the Sussex coast.
I work at GCHQ and value discretion. How private are the sessions?
Very. Sessions are held by secure video and are entirely confidential, taken from wherever you feel private. Nothing goes through your employer. The counselling room is in Hove, so we would meet online rather than anywhere in Cheltenham.
In a town so focused on appearances, will anyone know I'm having counselling?
No. Meeting online means there is no waiting room and no local premises to be seen visiting. We speak by secure video from somewhere private at home. The room is in Hove, so Cheltenham is served online rather than in person.
Online Counselling for Drinking Problems in Cheltenham, 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: Gloucester, Worcester. See all of South West.
All counselling & therapy in Cheltenham: 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.