Drugs and substances
Confidential support for any kind of substance use.
Online Substance Use Counselling · Newtownabbey
Online Substance Use Counselling in Newtownabbey
Online substance use counselling 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.
BACP registered member25+ years of experienceLived experience
ConfidentialA safe, private space
Person-centredThe therapy fits you
In and around Newtownabbey
Substance Use Counselling 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.
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.
There were 12 drug-related deaths registered in the Antrim and Newtownabbey council area in 2023, out of 169 across Northern Ireland (NI age-standardised rate 9.1 per 100,000). Source: NISRA - Drug-related and drug misuse deaths in Northern Ireland, 2023 (2023).
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.
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 callWhat I help with
How online substance use counselling in Newtownabbey 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 Newtownabbey
Why people in Newtownabbey come for substance use counselling
Along Newtownabbey's loughshore and up in the Antrim hills, substance use can quietly become a way of coping with money worries and the legacy of a divided past. Reaching for something to get through is understandable, and nothing to be ashamed of. Online substance use counselling meets you at home by secure video, without a trip into Belfast or the risk of being recognised in a close-knit community. From Monkstown to Carnmoney or Whiteabbey, it gives you an honest, patient space to look at what is happening and, when you are ready, what you might want to change.
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 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 Substance Use Counselling in Newtownabbey: common questions
Can I get online substance use counselling 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.
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.
Do I need to have stopped using before I start?
No. Counselling begins wherever you are, whether you have cut down or not. There is no test to pass first. Held online by secure video across Northern Ireland, sessions let you talk honestly from home in Newtownabbey, working gently towards change at your pace.
How quickly can substance use counselling begin in Newtownabbey?
Often within days. A free 15-minute call helps us see whether it feels right, then we set a first session soon after. It is all online by secure video, so from Glengormley to Monkstown you can start from home without a queue or a trip into the city.
Is substance use counselling free on the NHS in Newtownabbey?
NHS drug and alcohol services here sit within the Northern 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 begin.
Are evening online substance use sessions available for Newtownabbey?
Yes. An evening hour from home beats heading anywhere after a day tied to Belfast. Sessions run by secure video, so along the shore road or up Carnmoney Hill way you can take part in private with just a quiet room and a steady connection.
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 Substance Use Counselling 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 · 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.