Drugs and substances
Confidential support for any kind of substance use.
Online Substance Use Counselling · Norwich
Online Substance Use Counselling in Norwich
Online substance use counselling 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.
BACP registered member25+ years of experienceLived experience
ConfidentialA safe, private space
Person-centredThe therapy fits you
In and around Norwich
Substance Use Counselling 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.
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.
the rate of deaths from drug misuse was 5.7 per 100,000 in 2022 - 24, below the England average of 5.8 per 100,000. Source: OHID Fingertips – Deaths from drug misuse (2022 - 24).
3.8 adults per 1,000 were in treatment at specialist drug-misuse services in 2020/21, below 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.
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 callWhat I help with
How online substance use counselling in Norwich 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 Norwich
Why people in Norwich come for substance use counselling
Substance use does not only belong to big cities; in a county town set apart like Norwich, it can grow quietly and feel all the harder to talk about. Whether it is cannabis, cocaine, prescription medicines or something else, what started as a way to cope with pressure, low rural wages or plain isolation can slowly take more from you. I work online from Hove, so you do not need to travel to Norwich or beyond to be seen. From your own home, whether near the market or out in the Norfolk countryside, we can look at your substance use honestly and without judgement, and work out what you 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 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 Substance Use Counselling in Norwich: common questions
Can I get online substance use counselling 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.
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.
I worry people here would recognise me. Is it private?
That is a common worry in a close city. 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, at a time of your own choosing.
Is online substance use counselling available across Norwich and rural Norfolk?
Yes. I see people from the Golden Triangle to villages out towards the Broads online, so where you live in Norfolk makes no difference. There is no local waiting list, so most begin within days, starting with a free 15-minute consultation before we arrange a first session.
How do your substance use counselling fees compare with NHS options in Norwich?
My fees are £80 for 60 minutes, £100 for 90 and £120 for 120, and the first 15-minute consultation is free. NHS substance services in Norwich cost nothing but access can take time, whereas private online sessions with me can begin promptly, without the long drive for support.
Would substance use counselling be online, and do evening slots suit Norwich?
It is online only, from Hove by video or phone, which removes the distance Norwich can feel from other centres. Evening appointments are available, so sessions fit around work at places like Aviva or the University of East Anglia, and you take part privately from home with no travel.
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 Substance Use Counselling 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 · 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.