Online Counselling for Drinking Problems · Norwich

Online Counselling for Drinking Problems in Norwich

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

In and around Norwich

Counselling for Drinking Problems for Norwich, at a glance

Areas covered online
All of Norwich: from the cathedral and the centre to the Golden Triangle, Mile Cross and Thorpe Hamlet
Known for
The cathedral, the castle and the medieval lanes
Region
East of England (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 Norwich

Why people in Norwich reach out

Norwich is a fine medieval city somewhat set apart at the heart of rural Norfolk, a long way by road from other centres. A large student population, low rural wages across the wider county and that sense of isolation all shape the pressures people here carry.

Norwich sits a little apart, a fine medieval city ringed by the Broads and the flat Norfolk countryside, a good hour or more by road from anywhere of comparable size. That separateness gives it a strong sense of itself, from the cobbles of Elm Hill and the stalls of the market to the cafes and terraces of the Golden Triangle. The University of East Anglia brings students and researchers out at Earlham, and Aviva's long presence anchors a city with deep roots in insurance and finance. But the same distance that makes Norwich feel distinctive can leave people feeling cut off when life gets hard, and in a place where many have grown up knowing one another, admitting to a struggle can feel exposing.

the University of East AngliaNorwich Cathedralthe Norfolk and Norwich University HospitalAviva and the city's insurance sector

Beneath a calm, historic surface, struggle can be hard to voice; a confidential online hour asks nothing of appearances.

Norwich is home to the University of East Anglia and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital; NHS mental health services across the area are provided by Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.

Areas covered

Neighbourhoods in and around Norwich

the Golden TriangleMile CrossThorpe HamletEatonHeighamLakenhamCattonSprowstonThorpe St AndrewCostessey

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

The local picture

The local picture in Norwich

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

I am based in Hove and see people across Norwich and rural Norfolk online, by video or telephone, rather than from a consulting room in the city. For a place set as far from other centres as Norwich, that removes the long drive that specialist support can otherwise mean. Wherever you are, from the Golden Triangle to a village out towards the Broads, all we need is a private space and a decent connection to make a start.

Book a free 15-minute call

What I help with

How online counselling for drinking problems in Norwich 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 Norwich

Why people in Norwich come for counselling for drinking problems

Norwich has no shortage of pubs, and after a long week or through the quieter stretches of rural life, drinking can slowly become the thing you lean on. In a place where many know one another, it can feel exposing to admit you are worried about it, yet there is no need to have hit a crisis to talk. Working online from Hove, I offer a confidential hour to make sense of your drinking, from the Golden Triangle to a village out towards the Broads, with no clinic to visit and no one to see you arrive. Just an honest, unhurried conversation from the privacy of your own home.

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 Norwich

My online counselling sits alongside the help available locally. In Norwich, free local drug and alcohol support is available through Norfolk County Council's drug and alcohol use 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.

Norwich questions

Online Counselling for Drinking Problems in Norwich: common questions

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

Yes. I work with people right across Norwich, from the cathedral and the centre outwards, and anywhere else in East of England, 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.

Is my drinking really enough of a problem to seek help?

If it is on your mind, that is reason enough; you do not need to reach a crisis first. Working online from Hove, you can weigh it up honestly from home, without a drive across Norfolk and without anyone needing to know.

How soon could I begin online drinking problem counselling in Norwich?

Often within a week. Working from Hove by video and phone, I reach people across Norwich and rural Norfolk with no local waiting list, so distance is no barrier. We begin with a free 15-minute consultation and then find a first session time that suits you.

What does private drinking counselling cost against NHS alcohol help in Norwich?

Sessions are £80 for 60 minutes, £100 for 90 and £120 for 120, after a free 15-minute consultation. NHS alcohol services in Norwich are free but may carry a wait, while private online sessions with me can start quickly and stay confidential, with no drive into the city.

Can drinking problem counselling be done online in the evening for Norwich?

Yes. I work online only from Hove, so there is no waiting room and no one to recognise you, which matters in a close city. Evening slots are available, and whether you are in the Golden Triangle or out towards the Broads, you talk from a private space at home.

Norwich feels a long way from specialist help. Does online change that?

It does. Because I work by video and phone from Hove, distance stops being the barrier it can be in Norfolk. There is no drive across the county for an appointment; you can talk from home, whether you are in the city or a village out towards the Broads, at a time that suits you.

I grew up here and worry about being recognised. Is it private?

That is a common worry in a city where people tend to know one another. Working online means no waiting room and no one to pass in the street. Our conversations are confidential, and you take part from wherever you feel safe and unobserved.

Online Counselling for Drinking Problems in Norwich, 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 East of England: Cambridge, Ipswich, King's Lynn. See all of East of England.

All counselling & therapy in Norwich: 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.