Drugs and substances
Confidential support for any kind of substance use.
Online Substance Use Counselling · Birmingham
Online Substance Use Counselling in Birmingham
Online substance use counselling for Birmingham, by secure video. From a base in Hove I work with people across Birmingham, from the city centre and the Jewellery Quarter to the streets around the Bullring, 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 Birmingham
Substance Use Counselling for Birmingham, at a glance
- Areas covered online
- All of Birmingham: from the city centre and the Jewellery Quarter to Edgbaston, Moseley, Erdington and Handsworth
- Known for
- The Bullring, the canals and the Library of Birmingham
- 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 Birmingham
Why people in Birmingham reach out
Birmingham is the UK's second city and one of its youngest and most diverse, and life here moves fast across very different communities. The pressures of a big city, money worries, crowded housing and the isolation that can come even in a crowd, all take a toll, and reaching out is not always easy.
Birmingham is the country's second city, and daily life here runs across very different worlds. There is the professional bustle of Colmore Row and Brindleyplace, the trades of the Jewellery Quarter, the creative energy of Digbeth and the Custard Factory, and the student populations of the University of Birmingham, Aston and BCU. Add the shift patterns of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, the retail crowds of the Bullring and Grand Central, and the tight-knit communities of Handsworth, Sparkhill and the Balti Triangle. For someone juggling long hours, a demanding commute or the quiet loneliness that a big city can bring, having a steady, confidential hour to think things through can matter a great deal.
With the academic year setting a relentless pace, online sessions flex around terms, deadlines and shift work rather than fighting them.
Birmingham is home to the University of Birmingham and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, one of the largest single-site hospitals in the UK, and HSBC UK has its national headquarters in the city centre.
Areas covered
Neighbourhoods in and around Birmingham
Jewellery QuarterEdgbastonMoseleyErdingtonHandsworthDigbethBournvilleKings HeathSelly OakHarborneSutton Coldfield
Wherever you are in Birmingham, the work is the same, a calm, confidential space shaped around you.
The local picture
The local picture in Birmingham
These figures are local context from official sources, not a description of you, but they show the scale of what people in and around Birmingham are living with, and why local support matters.
the rate of deaths from drug misuse was 10 per 100,000 in 2022 - 24, above the England average of 5.8 per 100,000. Source: OHID Fingertips – Deaths from drug misuse (2022 - 24).
7.5 adults per 1,000 were in treatment at specialist drug-misuse services in 2020/21, above the England average of 4.5 per 1,000. Source: OHID Fingertips – Adults in treatment at specialist drug misuse services (2020/21).
Local data last reviewed June 2026. Each figure shows the year and links to the official source it was read on.
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.
Birmingham is well connected, with New Street, Moor Street and Snow Hill stations, the expanding West Midlands Metro tram, and a dense bus network feeding in from the suburbs. Even so, crossing the city in rush hour eats into the day. Working together online removes that journey entirely. The counselling room itself is in Hove, and Birmingham is served by video sessions, so wherever you are in the city you can meet from somewhere private.
Book a free 15-minute callWhat I help with
How online substance use counselling in Birmingham 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 Birmingham
Why people in Birmingham come for substance use counselling
Using substances to get through the week can start as a way to cope with the demands of a big city, whether that is the shift patterns at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, the pressure of a demanding job, or the isolation Birmingham can bring even in a crowd. When it begins to shape your days rather than ease them, a confidential space to talk can help you understand the pattern. Bradley Riddell works with substance use online, without judgement. Based in Hove and meeting Birmingham by video, sessions fit around your life, from Handsworth to Selly Oak to the city centre.
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 Birmingham
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 “Birmingham”).
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.
Birmingham questions
Online Substance Use Counselling in Birmingham: common questions
Can I get online substance use counselling if I live in Birmingham?
Yes. I work with people right across Birmingham, from the city centre and the Jewellery Quarter outwards, and anywhere else in Midlands, 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.
Will what I say about drug use stay private?
Yes. Sessions are confidential, and because they happen online you can join from wherever feels most private to you. There is no waiting room and no risk of being seen locally. Counselling is about understanding what is going on, not judging or reporting you.
How quickly can I begin substance use counselling in Birmingham?
Usually within a week or so. Substance use counselling for Birmingham is delivered online from the Hove room, so you are not waiting for a local slot. We start with a free 15-minute consultation to talk things over, then book your first session when it works for you.
How much is substance use counselling, and is it different from NHS drug services in Birmingham?
Fees are £80 for an hour, £100 for 90 minutes and £120 for two hours, after a free 15-minute consultation. NHS drug services across Birmingham are free but often stretched, whereas private sessions offer sooner appointments and continuity with the same counsellor throughout.
Would substance use counselling be online, and can it fit around work in Birmingham?
Yes, it is online, since the consulting room is in Hove and Birmingham is served by video. That means no journey from Handsworth, Selly Oak or the centre, and evening or early appointments can often be arranged around shift patterns and commutes.
Can we meet at a counselling room in Birmingham?
The consulting room is in Hove, so Birmingham is served online rather than in person. For many people across the city that works out easier, with no drive into the centre or parking to sort. All you need is a private space and a reliable connection.
I work shifts at the hospital, can sessions fit around that?
Yes. Because everything is online, appointments can often be arranged outside the standard nine-to-five, which tends to suit people working rotas at the Queen Elizabeth or across the city's care and retail sectors. It is worth asking about times that fit your week.
Online Substance Use Counselling in Birmingham, 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: Solihull, Coventry, Wolverhampton. See all of Midlands.
All counselling & therapy in Birmingham: 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.