Online Counselling for Drinking Problems · Newtownabbey

Online Counselling for Drinking Problems in Newtownabbey

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

In and around Newtownabbey

Counselling for Drinking Problems for Newtownabbey, at a glance

Areas covered online
All of Newtownabbey: from Glengormley and the centre to Rathcoole, Monkstown and Mossley
Known for
The Antrim hills, Belfast Lough and the shore road
Region
Northern Ireland (Northern Ireland)
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 Newtownabbey

Why people in Newtownabbey reach out

Newtownabbey is a large town on Belfast's northern edge, closely tied to the city and shaped by the same history. Insecure work, the legacy of division and the pressures of commuter life all shape what people here carry.

Newtownabbey stretches along the northern shore of Belfast Lough, a cluster of communities from Glengormley up the Antrim hills to Rathcoole, Monkstown and Whiteabbey by the water. The Abbey Centre draws shoppers from across the area, the Theatre at the Mill keeps a stage close to home, and the loughshore path and Carnmoney Hill give room to breathe within sight of the city. Ulster University's Jordanstown side has long had a presence here, and the M2 and the shore road carry a steady flow of commuters into Belfast and back. It is a place woven tightly into the capital's life, close enough to share its pace yet spread across green edges where the hills meet the water.

the Abbey Centrethe Theatre at the MillUlster University's Jordanstown sitethe Loughshore Park along Belfast Lough

When the week runs on the early train and the late return, an hour you take from home removes the very journey that stops many people starting.

Newtownabbey sits on Belfast's northern edge within the Antrim and Newtownabbey borough and is served by the Northern HSC Trust.

Areas covered

Neighbourhoods in and around Newtownabbey

GlengormleyRathcooleMonkstownMossleyCarnmoneyWhiteabbeyJordanstownBawnmoreHazelbank

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

The local picture

The local picture in Newtownabbey

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

Reaching support from Newtownabbey does not mean heading into Belfast for an appointment. Sessions are held online, by secure video, right across Northern Ireland, so you can take part from home along the loughshore or up in Glengormley. The counsellor is based in Hove and works UK-wide by video rather than seeing people in person, which keeps things private and saves the trip into the city.

Book a free 15-minute call

What I help with

How online counselling for drinking problems in Newtownabbey can help

Daily or binge drinking

Support whatever your pattern looks like.

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 Newtownabbey

Why people in Newtownabbey come for counselling for drinking problems

For many in Newtownabbey, a drink to unwind after the commute or a hard week can gradually become harder to do without. Tied so closely to Belfast yet spread across green edges, it is a place where a drinking problem can go quietly unremarked. Online counselling for drinking offers a private hour by secure video from home, with no local service to be seen entering and no journey into the city. From Mossley to Jordanstown, you can talk honestly about alcohol at your own pace, in confidence, whenever suits the 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 call

Drug, alcohol & addiction support in Newtownabbey

My online counselling sits alongside the help available locally. In Newtownabbey, your GP can refer you to local NHS-funded drug and alcohol services, and you can find your nearest one via the NHS “find a service” directory.

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 Lifeline free on 0808 808 8000. Lifeline is free on 0808 808 8000, and the Samaritans are on 116 123.

Newtownabbey questions

Online Counselling for Drinking Problems in Newtownabbey: common questions

Can I get online counselling for drinking problems if I live in Newtownabbey?

Yes. I work with people right across Newtownabbey, from Glengormley and the centre outwards, and anywhere else in Northern Ireland, 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.

How much drinking is too much?

There is no single line. If alcohol has become how you cope, or others are concerned, it is worth talking about whatever the amount. An online session across Northern Ireland lets you explore your drinking honestly from home in Newtownabbey, without judgement.

How soon can I get help for a drinking problem in Newtownabbey?

You can usually begin within a week. A free 15-minute consultation lets us talk without pressure, then we book a first full session. Everything is online by secure video, so you can start from home in Newtownabbey rather than travelling into Belfast for an appointment.

What does drinking support cost compared with the NHS in Newtownabbey?

NHS alcohol support here is free through the Northern Trust and community services, though you may wait to be seen. With me it is £80 for 60 minutes, £100 for 90 and £120 for 120, after a free 15-minute consultation, and no waiting before your first session.

Do you run evening online sessions for drinking in Newtownabbey?

Yes. Evenings often work best when a drink has become part of unwinding after the commute. Sessions take place by secure video from your own home, from Glengormley to Whiteabbey, somewhere private and with no need to head into the city after work.

Can I get help without going into Belfast?

Yes. Sessions are online by secure video, so you can talk from home in Newtownabbey rather than travelling into the city. The counsellor is based in Hove and works across Northern Ireland by video, which many people find more private and far easier to fit around work.

Online Counselling for Drinking Problems in Newtownabbey, 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 Northern Ireland: Belfast, Ballymena. See all of Northern Ireland.

All counselling & therapy in Newtownabbey: 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.