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Online Counselling for Drinking Problems · Stoke-on-Trent
Online Counselling for Drinking Problems in Stoke-on-Trent
Online counselling for drinking problems for Stoke-on-Trent, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Stoke-on-Trent, from across the six towns, Hanley and Stoke to the streets around the bottle kilns, 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 Stoke-on-Trent
Counselling for Drinking Problems for Stoke-on-Trent, at a glance
- Areas covered online
- All of Stoke-on-Trent: across the six towns, from Hanley and Stoke to Burslem, Tunstall, Longton and Fenton
- Known for
- The bottle kilns, the Potteries and the canals
- 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 Stoke-on-Trent
Why people in Stoke-on-Trent reach out
Stoke-on-Trent grew as the Potteries, six towns knitted into one, and the long decline of the pottery and mining industries has left real hardship behind. Insecure work, money worries and a sense of being overlooked all shape the pressures people here carry, often quietly.
Stoke-on-Trent is unlike anywhere else, six towns knitted into one city, from Hanley's centre to Burslem, Tunstall, Longton, Fenton and Stoke itself. The Potteries made the world's tableware, and names like Wedgwood, Emma Bridgewater and Steelite carry that craft on, with the bottle kilns still marking the skyline. Staffordshire University and the bet365 Stadium sit alongside canals, the oatcake shops and Trentham Gardens on the edge. The long decline of the pottery and mining trades has left real hardship, and a sense of being overlooked runs deep. When that weighs on someone, a quiet, confidential hour to talk things through can help.
Where the old industries have gone and there is a strong culture of just getting on with things, online keeps support discreet and within reach however stretched the week.
Stoke-on-Trent is home to Staffordshire University, the Royal Stoke University Hospital, and the bet365 headquarters, alongside its surviving ceramics firms such as Steelite and Portmeirion.
Areas covered
Neighbourhoods in and around Stoke-on-Trent
HanleyBurslemTunstallLongtonFentonStokeMeirBentileeTrenthamBucknall
Wherever you are in Stoke-on-Trent, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.
The local picture
The local picture in Stoke-on-Trent
These figures are local context from official sources, not a description of you, but they show the scale of what people in and around Stoke-on-Trent are living with, and why local support matters.
the rate of hospital admissions for alcohol-specific conditions was 805.2 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 29 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.
Stoke sits on the West Coast Main Line, with the station at Stoke around an hour and a half from London Euston and quick links to Manchester and Crewe, while the A50 and the M6 nearby carry much of the traffic between the six towns and beyond. For online counselling none of that is needed. The consulting room is in Hove and Stoke-on-Trent is served by video, so you can meet from a private space wherever you are across the Potteries.
Book a free 15-minute callWhat I help with
How online counselling for drinking problems in Stoke-on-Trent 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 Stoke-on-Trent
Why people in Stoke-on-Trent come for counselling for drinking problems
A drink to soften a hard week can quietly become a fixture, and in a city that has weathered a lot, a drinking problem often goes unspoken. Whether it is steady daily drinking or heavier spells, counselling gives you a calm, confidential hour to look at your relationship with alcohol honestly, without being lectured or pushed. Bradley Riddell works this through with you online, at your own pace. Based in Hove and serving Stoke-on-Trent by video, sessions happen from home, so there is no journey across the six towns and no waiting room to sit in.
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 Stoke-on-Trent
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 “Stoke-on-Trent”).
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.
Stoke-on-Trent questions
Online Counselling for Drinking Problems in Stoke-on-Trent: common questions
Can I get online counselling for drinking problems if I live in Stoke-on-Trent?
Yes. I work with people right across Stoke-on-Trent, from across the six towns, Hanley and Stoke 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.
What if I feel ashamed about my drinking?
That feeling is common and there is no judgement here. Counselling is a space to talk honestly with someone who will not shame you, and meeting online from home can make it easier to be open. Shame often eases once things are said out loud.
How soon can I get help for a drinking problem in Stoke-on-Trent?
Soon. Help for a drinking problem is offered online across Stoke-on-Trent from the Hove room, so there is no queue to join. A free 15-minute consultation lets us talk quietly first, and a full session usually follows within the same week.
What are the fees for drinking problem counselling, and how does NHS alcohol help in Stoke-on-Trent compare?
Private sessions are £80 for 60 minutes, £100 for 90 and £120 for two hours, after a free 15-minute consultation. Stoke's NHS alcohol services are free but can carry a wait, while private counselling begins more quickly and at hours that suit you.
Would drinking problem counselling be in person, and are evenings available for Stoke-on-Trent?
It is online, since the room is in Hove and Stoke is served by video, so nobody sees you at a clinic. Evening appointments can often be arranged, helpful when drinking has grown alongside hardship or a long-held sense of being overlooked.
How does online counselling work if I've not tried it?
It is straightforward. Sessions happen over a video call at an agreed time, from wherever you feel private, whether that is one of the six towns or somewhere quieter nearby. You need only a reliable connection and a space where you won't be interrupted.
Online Counselling for Drinking Problems in Stoke-on-Trent, 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: Derby, Telford, Tamworth. See all of Midlands.
All counselling & therapy in Stoke-on-Trent: 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.