Drugs and substances
Confidential support for any kind of substance use.
Online Substance Use Counselling · Bangor
Online Substance Use Counselling in Bangor
Online substance use counselling for Bangor, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Bangor, from the marina and the centre to the streets around the coastal path, 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 Bangor
Substance Use Counselling for Bangor, at a glance
- Areas covered online
- All of Bangor: from the marina and the centre to Ballyholme, Groomsport and Conlig
- Known for
- The marina, the coastal path and Belfast Lough
- 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 Bangor
Why people in Bangor reach out
Bangor is a seaside town on the County Down coast, a commuter base for Belfast with a tourism trade that quietens in winter. The strain of commuting, seasonal work and the legacy of the past all shape the pressures people here carry.
Bangor curves around its marina on the County Down side of Belfast Lough, the largest town on the north Down coast and a favourite spot for a walk by the water. Ballyholme's long beach, the coastal path towards Groomsport and Donaghadee, Ward Park and the old Bangor Castle grounds give the place its easy seaside feel, while Pickie draws families to the front. The train into Belfast makes it a settled commuter base, and the summer brings visitors who thin out once the season turns. Now part of the Ards and North Down area, it mixes retired residents, young families and city workers along a shoreline of sailing boats, cafes and the steady grey water of the lough.
A seaside town can feel cut off once the season ends and the front goes quiet, so online support that does not depend on who happens to practise nearby matters here.
Bangor is the principal town of the Ards and North Down borough on the County Down coast and is served by the South Eastern HSC Trust.
Areas covered
Neighbourhoods in and around Bangor
BallyholmeGroomsportConligBloomfieldClandeboyeWhitehillRathgaelBryansburn
Wherever you are in Bangor, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.
The substance use counselling itself
Substance use counselling here is non-judgemental and one-to-one, working with the pain, fear or loneliness the substance has been managing, at a pace that protects your sense of safety.
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 substance use counselling 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.
Support in Bangor can be arranged without waiting for a space in Belfast. Sessions happen online, by secure video, across Northern Ireland, so you can talk from home near the marina or up in Ballyholme rather than travelling for an appointment. The counsellor is based in Hove and works UK-wide by video, not in person, which means help fits around the commute and the quieter winter months alike.
Book a free 15-minute callWhat I help with
How online substance use counselling in Bangor can help
The false self
Letting go of the protective self that no longer serves you.
Specialised attention
One-to-one sessions shaped entirely around you.
Self-discovery
Rediscovering the authentic self beneath the coping.
Anxiety and low mood
Treating what the substance has been masking.
Sustainable change
Growing into recovery rather than forcing it.
Substance Use Counselling in Bangor
Why people in Bangor come for substance use counselling
Behind Bangor's easy seaside feel, substance use can quietly take hold, often heaviest in the quiet months once the summer visitors have gone. Seasonal work and the strain of commuting into Belfast leave their own marks. Online substance use counselling meets you at home by secure video, with no journey for an appointment and no being seen at a local service in a settled coastal town. From Ballyholme to Groomsport or Conlig, it offers an honest, unhurried space to look at what is happening and what might change, at a pace that respects how difficult this can be.
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 Bangor
My online counselling sits alongside the help available locally. In Bangor, 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.
Bangor questions
Online Substance Use Counselling in Bangor: common questions
Can I get online substance use counselling if I live in Bangor?
Yes. I work with people right across Bangor, from the marina 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.
Can I get support while I'm still using?
Yes. This is non-judgemental, one-to-one work that meets you where you are, and it can run alongside any medical or detox support you have.
How is this different from a group or 12-step programme?
It is individual and shaped entirely around you. Some people use it instead of groups, others alongside them.
Will you tell my GP or employer?
No. What you share is confidential within the BACP framework; nothing goes to anyone else without your consent.
The town feels quiet in winter. Can I still get help then?
Yes. Online support does not depend on the season or on what is open locally. The counsellor works across Northern Ireland by secure video from a Hove base, so you can talk from home in Bangor through the quietest winter months.
How quickly can substance use counselling begin in Bangor?
Often within days. A free 15-minute call lets us see whether this is a good fit, then we arrange a first session soon after. Everything is online by secure video, so along the north Down coast you can start from home without a queue or a trip to Belfast.
Is substance use counselling free on the NHS in Bangor?
NHS drug and alcohol services here sit within the South Eastern Trust and cost nothing, though access can take time. My sessions are £80 for 60 minutes, £100 for 90 and £120 for two hours, with a free 15-minute consultation first and no waiting to start.
Are evening online substance use sessions available for Bangor?
Yes. Being on the coast can make some support feel far off, especially in winter, so an evening session from home helps. Held by secure video, from Ballyholme to Bloomfield you can take part in private with only a quiet space and a reliable connection.
Does the seaside setting mean fewer local services?
Being on the coast can make some support feel far off, especially in winter. Online sessions close that gap: the counsellor is based in Hove and works with people across Northern Ireland by secure video, so you can talk from home in Bangor whatever the season.
Online Substance Use Counselling in Bangor, 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, Newtownabbey. See all of Northern Ireland.
All counselling & therapy in Bangor: Addiction · Drinking Problems · Anxiety · Depression · Relationship · Trauma · Counselling & Therapy · Psychotherapy.
Closer to the Sussex coast? The same substance use counselling is available in person in Brighton & Hove, or see all in-person areas.